Sonic Genesis Evangelion: between worlds
by RealRemainder
Summary: Sonic, Silver and Shadow go to the universe of Evangelion thanks to Robotinik's newest and most elaborate machine. Can they work with everyone in the alternate universe to save it from the oblivion of instrumentality?
1. The Mobian Quickening

Disclaimer: Evangelion belongs to Gainax, Sonic belongs to Sega.

**Author's note: That's right. An Evangelion and Sonic crossover. I think it can work! Especially after reading one other Eva X Sonic Fanfic that was actually good, but unfortunately it didn't have Shadow or Silver or any other Sonic Characters besides Sonic and Robotinik and it was also abandoned. Don't know about it anymore (removed from faves and alerts about two years ago) but kept thinking about it all the time (over a year now) so I started writing my own. An entire chapter and the setting is complete. **

**This was not my first writing experience however, I wrote a couple of Omakes and in-depth content for Gamerjay, and his fic Joutei no Yokai Hoshi, which is a Predator Evangelion crossover (which I recommend to everyone). His work and some words from him were very inspirational for this work. Also, when I was learning English I wrote a Final Fantasy Fanfic (that I never posted…)**

**Gamerjay is not only one of the inspirations for this, but also the Beta reader. A big shout out of thanks go to him. My sincere appreciation, man!**

**Now that all of that is out of the way, on with the show:**

**Chapter 1: ****_The Mobian Quickening._**

Sonic fought his way through the hills, forests and even the ruins of Flicky Island once again. His common sense still arguing with him. Not against what he was doing, fighting Eggman would never be a moral dilemma for him, but in a literal common sense of the whole scenario. Why would Eggman attack Flicky Island again? And why would he capture just a few of the flickies, showing more interest in the Chaos Emeralds?

None of this made any sense to Sonic, so he just kept on pushing forward. Enemy after enemy, until he reached a new installation, different from the final area the last time he visited Flicky Island.

"Egg-Dimensional Warper Housing Facility? The egghead must be running out of ideas." He said to himself after bashing the security bots at the entrance and never stopping his run after entering through the facility either.

He spotted the security cameras. Robotnik knew he was coming. This was his highlight, his kind of thrill. Dash through the moats, run through the obstacles, jump with perfect precision from one spot to another, slide for the small entrances. Once again at the apex of another adventure, he smiled to himself as he ran through the traversable building until he eventually reached a familiar type of room. It was long and spacious, in a circular corridor type of fashion. This was usually where one of the Giant talking egg's biggest creations was at.

True to Sonic's inner prediction, all of a sudden a big shark like metallic structure was hovering above him. The 'Egg Shark' he read in the robotic plate in its belly.

"Eggman is really running out of ideas." Sonic grinned as the metallic giant floating fish started subtle movements. "Alright ya big fish, let's do this!"

The shark didn't roar or made any type of animal sound. His engines and general floating devices however, made several types of powering up sounds. Spinning and banging pieces of engines sounded from inside the fearsome metallic beast and it started flying through the corridor in the same manner and speed Sonic was running through it. Sonic knew better than to just accelerate straight to him.

True to Sonic caution, the first attack was its. At first, just a simple bombing attack fell from the Shark fin openings to the side. Nothing Sonic couldn't handle, having to just dodge the explosions side dashing one body spin. More speed was spent when he used his boost and as he approached the Egg Shark, laser beans were shot from its eyes.

The form of a shark's eyes being more flat than usual made it possible for the laser to sweep the entire ground, but Sonic simply jumped. At the very last millisecond but jumped nonetheless. The egg Shark then flew diagonally, making the sweeping laser harder to avoid, but Sonic boosted again in mid-air.

His Sonic boom left broken wind in its wake and he reached the metallic giant fish. Noticing the dissolving of the energy in the Egg Shark's eyes, going from glowing red to dark grey slowly, Sonic thought that was the vulnerable spot. So upon touching the ground, he jumped again and launched himself in his trademark homing attack to the eye of the beast. It cracked and the Egg Shark flew backwards twitching as if in severe pain, the engines inside of it going crazy.

"Ha! This will be cake!"

True to Sonic's words, he just had to repeat the patterns until both eyes of the Egg Shark were destroyed, along with its owner.

Just mere seconds after the Egg Shark started exploding, Sonic came across a large door that read 'Dimensional Chamber'.

Sonic smirked "That looks important." And it was all he said before smashing it over and over again until it laid open before him.

"Eggman!" He shouted upon seeing Robotnik.

(SGE)

Doctor Ivo robotinik stood before the machine with uncertainty gnawing at his bones. Unlike all the other times he stood on the threshold of an important decision, he did not know all the variables and possible variables of the equation.

The device before him was a huge magnetic chamber, composed devices and set pieces that seemed to be for both containment of energy and enhancement of it. In the very center of the chamber was a portal like structure, in the form of a metallic tube, extending as far as half the size of the chamber, roughly five meters in length. The circle itself that it formed wasn't small either, being a circle of four meters of diameter, big enough for his Egg-o-Matic (and most of the adaptations for it).

The panel before him was showing off sets of words and equations that made absolutely no sense whatsoever. And for a genius with IQ of 300, that was saying a lot.

"Just what the hell kind of dimension did you find, my egg-dimensional warper? I don't know what these numbers mean! I don't even know what these names mean! I hate not knowing!"

This wasn't like sending a hit squad or egg bot against the pesky hedgehog. Eggman actually had no idea what the indicators of the type of dimension were showing, nor had any clue about the names indicated in the dimensional markers.

He just knew the names were important somehow. For them to be identified as words, even though they appeared through the algorithm trades of the dimension finder, they had to be important.

"Hmm, angels, lilim, second impact, dead sea scrolls, Adam, Evangelion, nope, they just don't add up, not even under the religious group. Guess I can't really judge this alternate dimension, after all it is a different reality." Eggman pondered to himself as he gazed once again at the mess of numbers and equations that indicated the general making of that Dimension.

"Making this installation here was no trouble. I knew the land and the power of the pesky birds I had tried to capture once. But being unable to get decent readings on the dimension I would spot using their power was not anticipated." He banged lightly in his board. "All the trouble using the inter-dimensional properties of Flicky Island to build and power up the egg-dimensional warper and I don't even know if I can succeed! I have to-"

He was then interrupted by the familiar sound of speed blowing through metal, the sound he heard so many times before, the sound of the hedgehog destroying his creations. "Rats! Can't even borrow the Chaos Emeralds and a few flickies without the hedgehog coming in to ruin the party."

Indeed he spotted the familiar blue blur running through his traps and bots in his security cameras. He knew he was still afar, knowing the location of each camera. He also knew how fast he could be in reaching his goal.

Few were the occasions where he hurried the way he was now. When it came to calculation and finishing his work, he liked being thorough. Meticulous. But there was no time, his nemesis would be there soon. Ignoring the unknown numbers and whatever they indicated, he finished his calculations and turned on the dimensional warping device, along with its rudimentary (rudimentary only in Robotinik's terms) A.I. and asked "Computer, state coordinates and transportation status."

"Designated reality augmentation process completed. Warping capabilities at maximum capacity. Ready to warp in Egg-o-Matic into designated dimension." Answered the A.I. in its robotic voice.

"Excellent. Now, due to the complicated setting the search algorithms found, having stumbled even upon words, you cannot determine where I will be, correct?"

"Affirmative. Locus acknowledgement not possible under current knowledge status of alternate dimension."

"I was afraid of that." The security cameras showed his dreaded foe closing in. "Curses! Deploy the Egg Shark!" He shouted at a different part of his panel, and the last security camera, just three screens before where his enemy was at, showed a huge fish like airborne machine being turned on and released like a fully charged balloon.

"Alright computer, can you at least determine a location that is functional according to the regular parameters of placement, so I don't warp in up in orbit or under the ground?"

"Affirmative. Basic locus configuration input possible within current status of dimensional knowledge."

"Excellent!" He looked to the camera showing his deadliest and oldest foe battling the Egg Shark. "I have won Sonic! Keep you stupid world, your precious Mobius! With the dimension I found through the egg-dimensional warper I will have control over the most powerful god like weapons there are! It doesn't matter that I won't know where I will be, or that I don't know about the strange words and symbols the dimensional reader found! It will be a dimension with god-like weapon possibilities AND without you to get in my way! Hohohohoho!"

As if to answer his self-explanatory self-indulging monologue, there was a loud bang from the screen, the same characteristic bang of a super sonic object hitting metal.

"Rats! He's figured out the Egg Shark's attack pattern! Only a matter of time before he trashes it now…" He turned back to the control panel. "Computer, start warp in sequences!"

"Commencing warping in sequence" And so, announced by the metallic voice of the A.I. and driven by a megalomaniac's ingenious lust for power, the middle of the huge metal tube in the chamber that appeared to be unfathomable sparked small dots of light that slowly became energy beans. The energy beans started concentrating until they formed a somewhat built out of light structure in the entire insides of the tube like structure, but still contained within it.

"Sequence at 25%" The energy sparks itself appeared to start vibrating.

"Sequence at 50%" The vibration eventually became a blurred image.

"Sequence at 75%" The blurred image became more visible. Eggman started to make out what seemed to be the arctic pole of a world, but something seemed off.

"Sequence at 100%. Ready for transfer. Please proceed through Egg-dimensional warper entrance." The image became almost completely clear. Eggman saw what indeed seemed like the extreme north of a planet, and icy landscape of snow and cold. What was off in this image though was the fact that there was more water and destroyed ground the usual.

_No Time to ponder on it. _He thought to himself. _Soon the hedgehog is going to be here, I gotta go through- _The crashing and explosions coming from the final security camera interrupted him.

"He already defeated the Egg Shark?" Robotinik Asked to no one in particular, sounding more afraid than he wished.

"Eggman!" Called a voice he dread as much as how long he knew it, by his side, the chamber doors exploded, revealing a pounding blue ball, moving very fast, until his counterpart stood behind him, and the chamber with a trans-dimensional portal ahead of him.

(SGE)

And the usual evil Sonic knew so well, the same wicked grin he had seen so many times before flashed several feet away, too far away for Sonic to react. "You're too late, hedgehog. The Chaos Control will activate and I will be away from you for good and Eggman Land will be a reality elsewhere!"

True to Robotnik's declaration, Sonic saw the familiar light of teleportation in a tube like structure just behind him. Only, the center of it showed an image of an icy wasteland like landscape. It didn't actually look like a different world, but Sonic saw no reason to not believe Eggman's usual cocky declaration of near victory.

So, at the same micro instant the Egg-o-Matic turned to go towards the portal, Sonic Homing-attacked the control panels of the machine repeatedly.

"NO!" Yelled Eggman.

On the contrary of Sonic's expectations though, he didn't stop his advance and entered the light even if it started fading, and the machines around started going haywire.

So as usual, Sonic didn't hesitate in doing whatever was in the moment. And at that moment, what was in it was to follow Eggman. One second after Robotnik disappeared, Sonic got inside the portal as well. He thought he saw a dark and red figure just a few feet to his left and a silver blur just behind him briefly.

He couldn't ponder on it even for a second, because at the moment he was engulfed by the light, everything went black.

(SGE)

_This is too easy… _Shadow thought.

GUN would never tell him to infiltrate the egg-dimensional warper facility without a probable reason. Granted, a grand scheme from Eggman usually made GUN take precautions. But a facility this easy to infiltrate… _This just doesn't add up. Why would Eggman house anything important here? A human spy with a big cardboard box could penetrate this fortress…_

His musings didn't slow him down or deferred him from his goal. He continued his descent into the bowels of the Egg-Dimensional Warper Housing Facility. He heard the sounds of gunfight and super speed bashing on metal.

_Hmmm… the faker must be the one making my job easier. Still, he alone wouldn't deter this much attention away from me… Someone else must be here…_

He then shut off his own thoughts, focusing on the main issue, reach the facility's core, where the supposed dimensional warper was at. Whether or not Sonic, along with someone else, was here was irrelevant to his mission.

He finally reached an area not reachable by ventilation vents. An area this difficult to get in and so further inside the facility must be where he was supposed to go. _Just copy the data regarding the Egg-Dimensional Warper construction, erase and leave, huh? _

He then picked up the tablet like device and started hacking the door before him. As it was about to open, he hears a loud bang inside the room, followed by a screaming voice he easily recognized.

"Eggman!"

Even if muffled by the huge steel door before him, Shadow recognized Sonic's voice and the anger in it. Luckily the hacking would be done soon and that same door would open.

"You're too late, hedgehog. The Chaos Control will activate and I will be away from you for good and Eggman Land will be a reality elsewhere!" That declaration from Robotinik however, worried Shadow. Not because of the safety of another world in another dimension but because he knew Sonic well enough to know that his next actions, in response to that, would be to try and destroy the machine he was supposed to get the construction plan's from.

"NO!" That exclamation from Robotinik only confirmed what he already knew.

_This is not a stealth mission anymore. If the faker destroys the machine, I'm gonna fail. _With that thought, Shadow busted the door open with a loud bang from his strongest homing attack, followed by a lot of kicks. He couldn't process the metallic enemies that finally became aware of him, or the sight of Eggman escaping with Sonic in pursuit before him. He was engulfed by light. A light he recognized from Chaos Control.

And everything went black.

(SGE)

"Tell me again why I have to do this, Blaze." The Silvery hedgehog bristled.

"The past is endangered. It usually IS you who saves it…"

"But you're not telling me a whole lot this time. AND you're also saying you're not coming with me.

"I have things to mind here."

"That's not the point! Why can't you just tell me what is supposed to happen? It is the past isn't it?"

"This time it is not quite like that Silver. You are going to the past but there is a factor that makes it unknown to this world."

"What would that be?"

"This world."

"What about it?"

"That's the answer to your question."

The purple cat and the silver hedgehog stopped their march when the Hedgehog halted and made a confused face, which was something extremely unusual for him.

"I don't understand."

"Unknown to this world. That's the answer, Silver. You are going to another dimension, apparently."

That made Silver do something even more uncharacteristic of him. He jumped. Couldn't hide the Shock in his face. "But… do I get to come back?"

"This is just a small step. A ripple in the grand scheme of things."

"So, yes?"

She couldn't help but smile. "You always do…"

For a moment it was there again. The unique sensation he would get when with Blaze. But then Silver was struck by the same longing that struck him before setting off to do something. Because he knows the moment he has to go is the moment his unique sensation is gone. No breaks from what has to be done, no spin offs, no twists.

This was who Silver the Hedgehog was. This was also who Blaze the Cat was.

And as if to confirm the convictions of them both, Blaze just shoved the white Chaos Emerald to his chest and activated it. "Remember what I told you before!"

"Yes. The Emerald will only take me back in time. I need to complete the transfer when I get there." He then added with a grimace: "I understood what you meant only now that you told me it's another dimension, by the way…"

"Yes, and when the travel through time is complete, the emerald will disappear, for you will be in the same place where it was at the past."

Silver smiled to himself. It always amazed him that the white Chaos Emerald, the time emerald he always used, could bend time like it did and remain one single entity. Whenever a Chaos Emerald would find it's alternate self (in this case being a time divergent) they would merge into one, at the same time period. This could be a bit of an inconvenience, depending on the situation, but the astounding ability of the gem amazed him nonetheless.

"Good luck, Silver."

He barely registered what Blaze told him before bracing himself for the usual punch and tugging around that time travelling meant. After he got over it, he barely had time to register the actual physical space around him, for he was surrounded by security bots.

"Crap…"

The attacks came in a giant 360 degree turning flurry. Luckily, Silver was completely 'charged' by the chaos energy required to bend time, even though the emerald was no longer with him. He activated his psionic ability and every single projectile of that giant flurry was stopped…

"IT'S NO USE!"

…and sent back to the bots and weapons that fired them right after Silver's war cry.

Amidst the dozens, maybe hundreds of explosions around him, Silver noticed this area was so heavily guarded for a reason. The reason was right in front of him. Just eyeing the huge door with the sayings 'main entrance: Egg-Dimensional Warper Chamber' gave Silver enough context and there was no hesitation or doubt in his mind and actions.

Disregarding the other sentries that were coming for him, Silver focused his psionic energy into the biggest projectiles he could find, while putting in a few bombs and ammo crates as well. Without a doubt the big pieces of metal, bombs and ammo crates that were tossed by the invisible force of his psionic power.

He managed to damage the door somewhat. _Rats, I'm gonna be throwing projectiles at it for hours before I open it. Gotta do this the old fashioned way._

Silver started fighting back the other sentries and bots that came for him. All the time he also looked around for a very specific type of control panel.

When he spotted it, he levitated towards it. Dodging the attacks and enemies was no small feat. He was literally swarmed and probably would have fallen without the initial boost he received from the white Chaos Emerald to time travel.

Just in the nick of time his psionic power hacked into the electrical mainframe until Silver felt the very distinct sensation of the main cord in it, commanding it to function. A moment later, the door started roaring, tumbling down.

The dent made by Silver's previous attack was actually convenient, for when the downing of the door reached the bent and partially destroyed part of the door, it actually started rattling and squeaking, metal scratching metal. But it was open enough just for Silver levitate himself through it.

No time to rest, however, for when he finally reached the main chamber, what Silver assumed was the Egg-Dimensional Warper was already active. Dr. Robotinik was inside of it, Sonic the hedgehog just behind him. From the other side, through the back door, Shadow the Hedgehog was also Jumping towards the active cylinder like chamber. Silver could tell it was active for it flashed out a strange eerie light, sort of like the Chaos Control light. A light that was growing and enveloped first Robotinik, then Sonic, and then Shadow.

He kept gliding towards that one inescapable moment and, after engulfing Robotinik, Sonic and Shadow, the lights swallowed Silver as well. And then, everything went black.

**Author's note: Next chapter they are already at Eva universe (only the anime will be used here, I like rebuild but I think the anime is better… and the manga, from which I'll get some other elements, is very similar to the anime). And this will be a 'same universe but with alien elements added' kind of thing (but not quite, it's the same characters and events from Evangelion, even if just the anime, but with Sonic in the mix). Ho, and did you guys enjoy my Metal Gear reference? Hehe.**

**This is the first Fic I'm actually posting. Like I said, the Final Fantasy one when I was younger and still studying English was never posted. Since I never finished it and I knew there were probably A LOT of errors in it because, as I said, I was writing it to learn english, I didn't even started posting it… Maybe I'll finish it now… but probably not… and I'm still learning the posting system of . See you guys next time.**


	2. Meeting a different hedgehog

Disclaimer: Evangelion belongs to Gainax, Sonic belongs to Sega.

Again, a big thank you goes to Gamerjay for betareading.

**Chapter 2: **_**Meeting a different Hedgehog**_

Robotnik struggled to get back onto his feet and made an effort to understand his surroundings from inside the egg-o-matic.

Safe footing, but barely. It was an icy wasteland with no apparent life signs for miles. Water was around the Egg-o-matic. Thankfully, it was still safe enough ground and safe for activation and basic scouting of the area. His vehicle trumped with power once he twirled the key in place again.

Safe transition, but it was close. Too close for Robotnik's taste. The pesky hedgehog had the right idea in destroying the core of the egg-dimensional warper. Had it been a moment later, Robotinik wouldn't have made the trip, or worse, he would have become stranded between dimensions.

Safe loneliness, but not for long. Robotnik knew Sonic could have just as easily been caught in the dimensional warping after destroying the machine's core. He knew there was a high possibility the hedgehog followed him right after.

But with the instability caused by the core's destruction and the fact Sonic was caught in the blast after Robotinik, Sonic would warp in that dimension only after Robotinik. It could take hours, it could take days or it could take months, but what was certain is that Sonic would follow him there eventually.

Robotnik bit a curse under his great moustache and threw himself into work.

"Let's begin with everything there is to know about this universe…" He told himself as he activated the global scanning grid on his Egg-o-matic and cracked his broad knuckles under the gloves.

The information Robotinik managed to figure out and decipher came from a rudimentary world wide web of information and a few documents that he hacked into with some effort. Documents were from the United Nations and SEELE, a couple of important organizations in this world. A lot of things seemed to click and to start making sense at that point, for Robotinik saw the words his trans-dimensional machine were showing him, as a very core concept within that universe, in all that information.

The year was 2015 and this was a world ridden by tragedy. This was why it was so easy to find all the important places to look into in that huge web of information revealed by his Egg-o-matic interface. If he would claim this world for himself, NERV and SEELE would be the organizations that would stand against him… or that he would have to incorporate. After all it was them that had all the resources and information on this world. From the web of data gathered it was also easy for Robotinik to figure out that the UN and SEELE were pretty much run by the same people.

Robotinik also had to put some considerable effort and time in the translation of a certain document from SEELE, but it was completely worth it. The Dead Sea Scrolls showed him not only the truth about the tragedy of this world, one that occurred 15 years ago, but also of the battle that was currently underway. The Second Impact was the coming of the first angel, Adam. It was told to the public it was a meteorite and it was told to the employees of the UN and NERV it was a contact between an Angel in embryo form and of an object called the Spear of Longinus, an experiment gone bad. The truth was that it was actually a predetermined event, orchestrated by the agents and commanders of SEELE.

Robotinik then beheld, still from the Dead Sea Scrolls, an amazing chain of events that would lead to something big, some sort of ultimate project. Easily enough, he crossed referenced that information with the info from SEELE and discovered the 'Human Instrumentality Project' and how the humans of this world were also considered Angels, the Lilim. By continuing his translation and studies of the Dead Sea Scrolls and viewing the information from SEELE and NERV, Robotinik figured out what the angels were, what was their true goal and when they would come. The sons of Adam.

In his mind, this solidified Robotinik's position as ruler of this world. He would use the information he just obtained to get in a high position within NERV, blissfully unaware of SEELE's intentions. Then he would take out SEELE and remain on top of everything. He even thought about the perfect solution against the pesky hedgehog when he eventually showed up.

"I'll just tell NERV you're an angel, Sonic." He muttered to himself while smirking.

"Hmm. 'The descendants of Adam must fall for the fires of creation to emerge.' Sonic will fall along with the other children of Adam" His smirk grew to a wide vicious grin.

"Ha, yes! 'And so, locked beyond the fires of creation and past the halls of eternity, the fruit of wisdom granted by God and stolen from Adam by the angels, valor awaits for the Lilim to awaken to its true form in a red earth ceremony.' So that is the Instrumentality Project. This will come to pass by my design. Once I claim what SEELE is putting together for myself, this world will be mine."

His grin then grew before he broke into laughter "Hohohohoho!"

As if hit by a sudden realization, he suddenly stopped and looked at his computer screen again.

"Wait a second… if these translations are right then the angels are already on the move… The third… no, the fourth angel, we're at the fourth angel already, Shamshel, and it will attack… today?!" His motion while in a hurry was nearly comical. "I gotta get to Tokyo 3!"

(SGE)

Shinji was swallowed by despair and engulfed in darkness. Plain and simple.

Piloting the Eva was nothing but pain at that point. And he got beaten up by a bully at school for doing it. It certainly didn't help that the bully even gave him the reason for punching him. Shinji didn't know that boy's little sister but it sure as hell didn't please him that she was at the hospital because of his fight with the first angel. His fight with the second angel, the monster with all the tendrils, was even harder than the first and he will never forget the sensation of crying in the Eva's cockpit. With the bully and his friend in the back, no less. Couple that with the fact Misato gave him lip for disobeying her during the fight, it is no wonder that by the time he realized what he was doing, he was already gone.

He fled without even realizing it. To be on the run was the only possible course of action for him. He didn't know if it was curiosity, loneliness, simple jealousy or the pain he was feeling. But it was probably that same feeling that made him watch a couple that couldn't have been much older than him caress and kiss each other in the movies. Probably the same feeling made him masturbate as he watched them in the darkness of the movies.

_I am so fucked up… _He thought as he left the bathroom of the theater, after washing his hands and continuing on his way.

_How long has it been since I left? _The thought crossed his mind at some point, as he awoke in an alley by the sidewalk, until eventually he became isolated from everything, even the urban setting that he was so used to.

_Wait, I'm out of the city? Where am I? _He thought again as the landscape of grass and sunflowers spread across him. By the other side of the horizon, the city could still be made out, however Shinji truly had no idea where he was. He didn't think he cared much, for he continued on his way, looking slightly down.

It was perhaps that set of factors that made him jump when he heard Kensuke's yell out of nowhere

"Hey Shinji!"

(SGE)

Robotnik knew that Shamshel had been defeated. What little had been released to the press could say that much was certain. Besides, he knew the angels were after Lilith and if Shamshel had succeeded in touching Lilith, this world wouldn't be here anymore.

Robotinik was grateful his plan could still be put in motion but he was cursing the North Pole under his breath. Not only was the scenario he warped in extremely difficult to navigate and to find anything in, it made him lose five whole days in actually getting to Tokyo-03. He had to set up a whole system of gathering supplies for food and actually sleeping in the Egg-o-matic. Having arrived in time to see the fourth angel would have been nice.

On the bright side, Robotinik did manage to get to the metropolis under the radar thanks to that. Not one transmission, not one sight of him appeared to have been detected in his trip from the north pole to the city that apparently was the last bastion of mankind. Nobody knew about the food supplies he had scavenged or that he was entering Tokyo 3. And if the documents from SEELE and the UN he decrypted were correct, NERV Tokyo 3 was the NERV Base where Lilith's remains were being kept. This would be the only base the angels would attack. Every angel would come here eventually.

So he hid the Egg-o-matic and his possessions in a remote outskirt area of Tokyo-03 and started his journey to the city, to NERV's headquarters. He set out using a smaller version of the egg-o-matic that he decoupled from the original one and started driving towards civilization. The egg car was rustic to his high technological tastes but still comfortable and serviceable. He drove down the small road and when he was passing by a field, he saw a small tent with a small bonfire in the distance.

_Who would be so far out here? Children? _Robotinik thought they were children judging by the size of the shades around the small camp. Whether it was by simple curiosity or a hunch something good was about to be found, Robotnik stopped his car. And as he approached the tent, words coming from that distance began to take form in his ears.

"Man, you are so lucky! You get to live with a hot cutie like Misato and you get to pilot that awesome mech, the Evangelion!"

"What?!" Robotnik couldn't stop himself from yelling out the question.

What, indeed, was one of the most important members of NERV, the Eva pilot, doing way out here, without any kind of protection? Robotnik had no time to ponder on it because a moment after, two boys came out of the tent. One of them was wearing a military costume and the other was using a white shirt and black pants. They looked at Robotnik with awe and surprise. And they were also speechless.

_I suppose seeing me out here dressed like I am is a bit of a shock. No matter. Maybe I can use this to my advantage. _"Is one of you a pilot of the Evangelion?"

The boy wearing military garment pointed at the other boy, whose face looked calm, but Robotnik could see the pain and agony trying to contort it.

_This has to be a mistake. What would a NERV employee be doing here? And… children pilot the Eva? Really? And it is this little wimp? No matter, I'll seize this opportunity if it really is one. _

"I have some critical information that concerns the coming of the angels. If you could point me to NERV headquarters, I would be grateful."

Relief crossed the boy's face. "Ha… I thought you were here to bring me back mister…"

Robotnik raised his finger "Doctor. Doctor Ivo Robotnik." And then resumed his dominant like posture. "What do you mean, bring you back, boy?"

"I'm Shinji Ikari…" the boy couldn't look him in the eye. "I'm technically… AWOL, doctor."

Resuming his regularly authoritarian demeanor, Robotnik spoke "That is unacceptable, Shinji. The Evangelion is the only thing that can stop the angels! And the next angel will attack in-" He managed to cut himself just then. It was not wise to give away his knowledge of events to come as seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls file he hacked into without a good enough reason.

Instead, he just appealed to the more human side of things. "Why did you run? You don't want to pilot the Evangelion?"

Shinji looked to the boy at his side, also looking like he wanted to hear an answer, and then looked away. "Not really… It just isn't… something regular for me…"

"Something regular? But of course it isn't regular. There is nothing 'regular' about piloting a giant cyborg to defeat mythical entities, Shinji. If you're just afraid, or if you don't want to pilot anymore or both… then you should just come out and say it."

The pain hidden behind Shinji's mask was threatening to break through. But Robotnik cared little for pain in living things "I know organizations like NERV, boy. Believe me when I say this: that attitude you're currently showing will just make them tell you to leave. To go away and forget all about them…"

Shinji looked down but didn't break. Robotnik figured that gloomy face looking down was simply the boy's normal state. And how such a weak wimp was to pilot something like the Evangelion was beyond Robotnik.

So he just sneered at Shinji. "I haven't even seen an Evangelion, but I already know it's not meant for someone like you."

"How would you know?" Shinji's voice was barely a whisper.

One of Robotnik's eyebrows rose "I pilot fearsome machines myself, boy. Which brings me back to the question in hand; I really need to speak to high ranking NERV Personnel as soon as possible."

Shinji still didn't look at him "I meant how would you know if it is not for me?"

Robotnik blinked behind his dark glasses.

"What do you even know about me? That I'm a spineless coward? I could have told that myself. Before all this I…"

It finally happened. When Shinji looked up again, his eyes glistened with tears "…I had nothing. I had only emptiness." The tears rolled down and sheer agony wrecked Shinji's face. "I lost my mother and my father left me when I was five! I even wrote a school essay about how it wouldn't even matter if I died!"

The boy in military garment tried to soothingly place a hand on his shoulder but Shinji just jerked off and a sob escaped from him. The boy, his friend, continued his advance until Shinji let him embrace him.

"Why are you running away then?"

"Because piloting the Eva is also bad!"

Robotnik slightly tilted his head "Worse than before?"

Shinji looked at him but said nothing.

"If you managed to pilot and save this world and you didn't run, you are more than you think you are."

Shinji continued to stare.

"At least through the pain you can work something out, so it's better than nothing. Between pain and nothingness, you're better off with pain. Someday you will find a safe distance to put between you and everything else so it doesn't hurt anymore."

Robotnik then gestured at the image of two teens holding each other in a friendly embrace in front of him "Maybe you are doing that already. Would you have made friends with him…"

Robotnik pointed at the military dressed kid before finishing his question "…if you hadn't become a pilot?"

"I…" the boy holding him smiled at his hesitation "I guess not…"

He then broke from the other boy's embrace and wiped his face with both hands. The other boy finally spoke "Shinji… I… I also lost my mom."

They shared a brief look before Robotnik continued "Look, Shinji, I hate using a Hedgehog metaphor, but it's true: Like a hedgehog can, you also can figure out what the distance between you and everything else has to be in order to be happy." He once again gestured to the military dressed kid. "Maybe you can even approach more than you think."

"Hedgehog?"

"Pesky little creatures filled with spikes. They're not a problem. You can be more than them."

Shinji seemed to be deep in thought for a second and then turned back to the other kid "Look Kensuke… Go home."

"Huh?"

"Mister… Doctor Robotnik is right. I mustn't run away. I'll go back and… take him to headquarters while I'm at it."

Robotnik smiled "Very good."

Robotnik's smile became a wicked smirk when the boys looked away. He had, in fact, to hold back his laughter for he would set his plans in motion sooner than he anticipated. _Excellent. He'll take me to his bosses. I'll Just have to weasel my way into it all. And I have all the right info to weasel my way into it all. _"I have a vehicle, I can drive you boys."

(SGE)

Shinji was sitting in a fairly large room, maybe holding cell was more like it, with Nerv's logo painted in the wall behind where he was sitting. It was dark but for a light that dimly glowed from his left. He hadn't realized how dead inside he actually was for all the things he noticed on the way back. The silent drive back to headquarter in doctor Robotnik's strange oval car was one of the most introspective trips of his life. It was like his awareness had gone through the roof from some simple uplifting words from a stranger with a huge mustache and a weird red suit. They weren't even uplifting words per se, but it was still better than any stoic banter from his father or any of the false sugar words from his alleged temporary guardian.

It also amazed him how easily he just faced the consequences of turning himself in. How easily he explained who doctor Robotnik was, even though the doctor interrupted him with bits of information which was probably what made the Nerv Goons take him in as well, and how easily he just took in whatever was coming for him now was just, well, unlike him. It was as if he had something to focus on all of a sudden.

He even noticed the small sound of footsteps approaching. With that he looked up and, in a rare moment of courage, trusted out his chest and faced the person approaching.

_I mustn't run away… _This time it was a soothing thought that came naturally instead of something he hammered in his own skull while in a panic. More like a calming mantra than an affirmation to fight off terror.

"So, Shinji, enjoyed your time of running away? Did it help you?" Misato sounded calm.

"No it did not. Not at first. It was only when I spoke to the doctor that something clicked… You see, living with you… piloting the Eva… All is nothing but pain to me but it's… well, it's all I got… I won't run away again, Misato. I promise."

Even in the darkness, Shinji could see the surprise in Misato's face. "But… If you really feel like crap over all that then you should just-"

"No, I should not. If I go back I'll just go back to emptiness, Misato. To feeling like I am nothing… Have you ever felt like you're nothing? Like you're completely alone?"

Now Misato was not just surprised, she was taken aback. Shinji tried to figure out what Misato was showing off at that time, trying to figure out her silence. Why wasn't she saying anything? Would she just send him back anyways, like Dr. Robotnik said she would?

"I…" She finally spoke. But nothing else came out.

And in another bold moment, Shinji simply said "I'm sorry I ran. May I stay?"

"A… alright," said Misato after a brief moment of hesitation.

Shinji's mouth made a thin smile after she left.


	3. Secrets and Revelations

**Chapter 3: **_**Secrets and revelations **_

Misato was shocked. Maybe that was putting it mildly. She was surprised when none of the search parties of Section 2 out looking for him didn't find him, even more surprised when she heard he came straight back to headquarters by himself but she really had no idea Shinji had it in him to just up and speak like that. She was literally ready to give him a full blown out speech about just leaving and forgetting all about NERV if this place had nothing but pain for him but she just had to swallow it all back along with a bit of her pride. The whole deal about being alone, she couldn't say Shinji hadn't touched a nerve right there.

After all, the Second Impact instant and the hellish existence of solitude she suffered after that instant were two very defining traits in her. To see someone like Shinji just stand up and fight the emptiness was shocking to say the least.

If all of that weren't enough surprises, Shinji had returned alongside a man who was claiming to have crucial information concerning the angels and the war NERV was fighting. So when standing at the door to the holding room he was in, she was extremely self-aware and prepared for anything. She nodded to the guard on stand by and he opened the door to her.

"Good evening, captain Misato Katsuragi."

Right off the bat, Misato's preparation was flung off the window by gentle words and a 'too much information' alert.

"How do you know my name?" The question came harsher than Misato intended.

The middle aged man gave her a wicked smirk that made his almost comically large moustache twist upwards "I know a lot about your organization and the enemies it fights, my dear."

Misato squinted her eyes, taking in the man in front of her. The bald head and the big still moustache were not only contradictory in appearance but gave him a depraved aspect that was reinforced by the round dark glasses hiding his eyes. "And _how_, exactly, is it that you know all that mister Robotnik?"

"I have a… source… the same source your boss probably consults with."

"I sincerely doubt you know anything about Commander Ikari. I doubt even more you would know anything about the sources he consults." Misato slowly approached him as she spoke and sat on the chair in front of him and now they were face to face, a small table separating them. "Who are you really?"

Robotnik was still smiling. "I didn't mean Commander Ikari, Dear, I meant SEELE."

Now Misato was wearing a full frown on the face but said nothing. _SEELE? What the hell is that?_

"You see, SEELE, ever since the times NERV was GEHIRN, has kept databases and backups of information on its core infrastructure. I will admit hacking those files, including their golden egg, was no picnic. But nothing is impossible to the greatest scientific mind of the entire world!"

Misato fought back a snarky remark and the urge to make a typical disbelieving face. One of her eyebrows did go up though. "I should believe you, why?"

"Believe what you will, my darling. But I DO have information you wanna hear about. And I can prove it to you that it is information you want…"

"How?" Misato sounded dissonant.

His smirk became even more wicked "Here's what's going to happen, my dear…" Robotnik settled himself in his chair, bringing his face closer to Misato's. "You're gonna lock me up for suspicion of spying. After all most laws of the UN dictate exactly that concerning all the sensitive information I have to share with you."

His explanatory manner than took a twisted posture "Three days after that, regret is going to CONSUME you because you're going to think 'if only had I heard the good doctor, Shinji wouldn't be dead, killed by that horrible angel that can pulverize instantaneously anything that gets near him'. And then you will come back to my cell and finally listen to what I have to say."

Misato Blinked. _This has to be a joke. How can this creep possibly have information about the fighting capability of the next angel? If any information concerning that existed, NERV would now about it. _

After thinking that, she then nodded at him and spoke "You are right about one thing, doctor. I am going to throw you in a cell. Enjoy your incarceration." Misato got up with finality, ending the conversation. Robotinik kept his wicked smile splattered across his face.

(SGE)

"So you see, it's all about balancing out the right amount of glue, and the right place to glue it."

Shinji couldn't help but smile as Kensuke Aida described how to put his toy plane together. Or maybe he was smiling at the fact he and Kensuke had become closer since their fated nightly encounter with the strange red clad moustache man.

While it's true that it was Kensuke that approached him first, it was also true it had become extremely easy to simply have lunch together, or to listen to him talk, or to simply hang out together. The fact that Kensuke had seen him at his worst could be a factor contributing to this. It was also probably why Kensuke had told Shinji his mom was also dead, that he too was at a bit of a loss since it had happened. Though he was six years old when it happened, things are never really the same.

Though depressing as it was, that was one of the most heart felt conversations Shinji had ever had. That was why listening to Kensuke talk about yet another model of toy plane had become a normality as of recently. That normality was interrupted by the kid that hit him just a few days ago.

"Hey, Ken…"

Both Kensuke and Shinji turned to look at him but it was Kensuke that spoke. "Toji…?"

Hikari Horaki, the class representative, was standing right behind him, hands crossed in front of her waist, all business like, trading looks between Toji and Shinji.

"Can… Can the two of you come with me and Horaki? Outside? Just for a minute?"

Shinji looked Pensive, but again, it was Kensuke that spoke "Huh?"

"I already talked to the class rep," his thumb pointed to the girl behind him. "This is important… please."

(SGE)

"Listen, new kid… Ikari… Shinji… I…"

Shinji thought the Jock's hesitation was strange. Maybe even stranger than when the some jock approached him earlier and asked to talk to him outside during break. The class representative and Kensuke were behind him as if they were giving him support.

"Hit me."

That startled Shinji. Apparently it also startled Kensuke and Hikari right behind him.

"S-Suzuhara!" Hikari's shrill voice appeared sharp enough to cut something. "When you approached me with this and told me what happened, I thought all you wanted to do was APOLOGIZE!"

"Toji…" Kensuke groaned. "Hikari is right. Just say you're sorry, will you?"

Shinji thought he saw something akin to guilt in the jock's face when he spoke. "No, no, no. This is the only thing that will make us even…"

Shinji worked his mouth but at first nothing came out "I…" He croaked.

"Don't think about it. Don't hold back. Just do it" Toji then closed his eyes, making a face that screamed 'prepared for pain'.

Shinji didn't know what face he was making right now. His usual reflex of simply repressing everything inside was fought back somehow so instead of apologizing or turning away or even simply doing as he was told, he spoke. "Can I ask you something first?"

Toji opened one of his eyes and than both to stare at Shinji. "Um… okay."

"If I hadn't met a… guy that told me exactly what I needed to hear, by now I probably would have been… sent away from Tokyo-03. I wouldn't even be here. I wouldn't have become closer to Kensuke…"

Toji was still silently staring at him.

"Would you have… chased me to the train station or something like that just to settle this?"

Toji then made a face, raising one eyebrow. "Are you gay?"

Shinji instantly widened his eyes, blushed and fidgeted around. "N-NO!"

"I don't… 'chase' men dude." Toji lifted a hand in a stopping gesture. "B-BUT it's okay if you do! If you are-"

Shinji blushed harder and his movement became more erratic before he cut Toji off. "It's not like that! I'm just questioning your resolve to settle things between us!" He then looked Shinji straight in the eye, something also completely unlike him. "Are you asking me to do this just because you feel guilty?"

Toji hesitated. "N-no. I mean, yes, I do feel guilty, but it's not just that! I…" Toji scratched the back of his head. "I talked to my sister. And… And she…"

Behind him, Hikari smiled. "She scolded him for hitting the hero that stopped the monster from destroying the city…"

"CAN IT CLASS REP!" In a heartbeat, Toji went bright red as he turned to Hikari. She smiled at him and he looked back to Shinji. "Yeah, pretty much. Not just about me… you know… I just… want things to be squared between us and… yeah I suppose that if you had run I would find you and MAKE it all square…"

He stared at Shinji and Shinji just stared back. His face a sphinx

"So, yeah. If you could do this for me and make things even between-"

WHACK!

Shinji's small and powerful fist met Toji's jaw with an intensity Shinji didn't think it was possible for him to muster. His hand hurt. The next second, Toji was on the ground. To Shinji, releasing all that was like releasing a horrible dark miasma of emotions. It wasn't because Toji asked him to, or because he was a weak coward. It was because this was probably the first time in his life he actually let it all go in a single swoop.

Hikari and Kensuke were too wide eyed to do anything so it was Shinji that approached the grounded jock, extending him a friendly hand as he smiled. "You're right. This DID feel good. And now we're even."

Toji just smiled and assessed the insides of his mouth with his tongue, the outside of it (his cheek) with his hand.

Shinji was still smiling. "Are the two of you hungry? Kensuke and I have left overs."

(SGE)

It was only the evening of the next day. Shinji had visited Rei's apartment to give her the new NERV card issued for her. His inquire towards Misato on what had happened with Robotnik had been short and meaningless, Misato told him the doctor was okay but she wasn't allowed to talk about him, and the kid was overall seemingly fine.

Shinji's state was the last thing on Misato's mind however, for one could tell that she was furious just by the way she stomped the ground, walking towards Doctor Robotnik's holding cell. Fury emanated from every aspect of her right now. She was gonna have to swallow her pride and tell the NERV prisoner he was right. This next angel started pulverizing Evangelion unit one the moment it emerged. And yes, had Misato paid any heed to what this strange man had to say, maybe Shinji wouldn't be in the NERV ICU right now.

She asked that he would be transferred to an interrogation room and Ritsuko for some reason wanted to be there and incur on what he knew as well. Misato saw her at the interrogation room glass and decided to ask her about it now.

"Why did you wanna be here, Rits?"

Ritsuko didn't avert her eyes from the mustached bald doctor, sitting on the table on the other side of the one way mirror "Your report said he spoke about something called SEELE?"

Misato looked from the glass to her. "So?"

"Let's just say I've been briefed on stuff you haven't captain."

Misato blinked. _She just pulled rank on me. Why?_

"Another reason is this." Ritsuko cut her thought process gesturing a filled out paper with her hand.

Misato took the papers into her own hand and, upon examination, saw the doctor's name on it, Ivo Robotnik. Further examination revealed it to be an IQ test.

Misato's eyes widened. "This… This is impossible…"

"No it's not. I ministered this IQ test myself."

"He… He really has…"

"He has an IQ of 300. Yes."

"And… our registries about him…?"

"Came out empty."

"What?!"

"You heard me, no registry worldwide, secretive and open to the public, contains data on any 'Doctor Ivo Robotnik' with that IQ score…"

Misato blinked "But… someone this intelligent…"

"Should have been working with us from the very beginning or at least have accomplished lots of things. I know. Still, we got nothing on him."

Misato was almost astonished at Ritsuko's finality in stating impossibilities as simple facts. She then frowned back to the glass and slammed the paper on the small ledge just below the one way mirror. "That's it! This pig is telling me who he is." She resumed her stomping towards the door to the interrogation room.

"Wait!"

The determination in Ritsuko's voice stopped her on her tracks and she turned back to look at her.

"Misato, I know you must be upset with everything that happened but… well, let's not be hasty here."

One purple eyebrow rose. "Are you serious? This guy-"

"Apparently knows things nobody should know AND has the biggest IQ ever AND has no data to be found about him whatsoever." She finally turned to face the captain. "But it was us that decided not to listen to him and just lock him up. Let's not waste a potential ally and let's try to learn everything we can from him."

"That still means I have to go in there and interrogate him."

Ritsuko made a soothing gesture. "Let me talk to him first. You go in next."

Misato stood by as the doctor passed her. Her eyes narrowed when the door closed. _You know he know things no one should know, Rits. How come YOU know this…?_ Misato shook her head and started going the other direction of the interrogation room._ If I'm not mistaken, this room has two doors. I can be extra effective if I go in there without Robotnik and Ritsuko noticing me._

(SGE)

Robotnik turned his head up slightly as if signaling that he heard the squeaking sound of the door and immediately noticed Ritsuko coming in.

_Calm down doctor Akagi. This isn't usually your work but this man has more IQ than you and knows things only you, the sub-commander and Commander Ikari should know… You need to see this through…_

His wicked grim shook her resolve, although she didn't show it. "Good evening, fellow doctor Ritsuko Akagi…"

Ritsuko maintained her stoic posture. _He knows who I am… figures._

She then approached the table and bent over slightly approaching her face to his. She scowled. "The third child Shinji Ikari is in our ICU."

"Of course he is."

She then sat down on the chair in front of him. "What did you do?"

Robotnik was obviously being condescending. "Meeee…?" He gestured the room around him in his usual comic over the top manner. "I was right here." He looked Ritsuko in the eye.

The dark glasses in the dark cell room unsettled her, even if she didn't show it.

"What did you and the lovely captain Katsuragi do HHMMM?! Sent him into battle ignoring my advice?"

Ritsuko still had her poker face on. _Assuming your information is accurate, then yes, ignoring your info was stupid. How do you know this, though? Assuming you really DID manage to hack into SEELE and UN databases, does SEELE really knows properties of the angels? THAT is what I need to know. _

"I'll repeat the question. What. Did. You. DO?"

Robotnik was now smiling knowingly. "What's the time?"

Ritsuko blinked, though remained immobile. "What difference does that make?"

"Depending on the time, my ingenious machines may know EVERYTHING about your planet and civilization… Or ALMOST everything…"

Ritsuko stood back up very slowly and very deliberately. _There is no way this creep has a computer that can hack into anything and get any info. Only the MAGI of this branch could do something like that. _

"If we're gonna play games, I'm going to need a cup of coffee." She turned to leave.

Robotinik's grim grew wider "Ah, the good cop bad cop routine?"

"Not exactly…"

(SGE)

Robotnik was roaring in laughter on the inside. _So, dear doctor Akagi figured out already what my sources are, she just doesn't believe it. Interesting._

The moment Ritsuko left the room, a feminine yet firm hand grabbed and…

BAM!

…slammed the bald head to the table. Robotnik whelped in pain but didn't seem hurt or overall less composed.

He started rubbing his forehead, where the table had hit him, while speaking "Ugh, never start with the head. The victim gets all fuzzy and can't really feel the next-"

SLAP!

The sound echoed in the small room, shutting him up. Surprisingly though, he didn't rub his cheek, where Misato's palm had connected, until a few seconds later. "You see? Didn't feel it until now."

Misato now sat where Ritsuko was sitting. "Alright you mustached turd. Let's do this again. And now I'm willing to take into account everything you say. Who the hell are you?!"

_I'm sorry dear captain, it's much too early in the game to throw you a bone. And since I know a lot you don't, I can turn all of this to MY favor._

"I wanted to see what you would do. And you didn't disappoint. You let Shinji almost die. And now you came straight to your only source. That's smart. Coming from a guy like me that's really something."

"Who are you?"

"The stupid old men want you and your commander gone so they can move freely against the angels and advance their final plan… But I know the truth. You and everyone on NERV, you are the champions of humanity."

"Then why you wanna kill us?"

The sudden roar of laughter would have startled Misato if she was not holding herself in a hostile stance "HOHOHOHOHO, haha I, I don't wanna kill you!"

Misato narrowed her eyes at the sudden mood swings of Robotnik.

_She thinks I'm insane. This is working then. _"No, no, no, you are the last bastion of hope to mankind." _And if I can control you, I can control this world. _"I want to help you." _If you kill all the angels, you can also kill the pesky hedgehog and stop SEELE from doing what is for ME to do. Then this world will definitely be mine._

(SGE)

Misato on the other hand kept her scowl and general hostile aura. This conversation seemed to have only one side and Robotnik was dictating it all. It was stupid to assume he wanted them dead, after all she was the one that ignored what he said. Still, she had to press her point.

"If you want to help us, you gotta give us more than information on the angels. AND you gotta give us more reason to believe you than your predictions coming true. Who the hell are you, Robotnik?"

"Hehehe, you see, dear captain… I really don't."

Now Misato felt really peeved and was probably showing it too. But before she could hit him again…

"Here's what you need: A giant Eva sized sniper rifle."

Misato kept her hostile scowl but one of her eyebrows rose.

"Then you will diffuse ALL of the country's energy supply into it…"

Now Misato's mouth was slightly agape.

"And clobber it all to the gun, which will fire an energy beam at the angel. All from a safe distance."

Misato's face went back to its normal state for a second before returning her scowl at the bald man. _That… actually makes sense… I would have thought of that, if the information on the current angel is all accurate, a plan like that really is the most direct fastest way… By tomorrow at 12:30 AM it will have breached the Geofront…_

"Ah, it is so nice seeing the engines turning in your head, captain."

Misato refocused her attention on him. "And I suppose you want to be free and to work for NERV in exchange…"

He smiled with fake gentleness. "If it isn't much trouble my dear." His smile then became creepy and he approached her face. "If you do that for me, I'll tell you about the next angel, as soon as this one is defeated…"

Misato stood up very slowly and very deliberately. "I'll be in touch."

In the final darkness of the interrogation room, Robotnik smirked his signature wicked smirk.

(SGE)

Shinji woke up in pain.

He saw the same ceiling from the first battle he had ever been to. He remembered snippets of being melted by the current angel's beam of energy. At least he thought it was a beam of energy.

Burning. Scourging. Immolating. Smoldering.

His last memories of before passing out were so intense with pain he was almost crying again before noticing someone was in the medical room with him.

Her usual stoic manner was there but there was a sense of duty in the way she projected herself right now.

"Ayanami?" Shinji's voice came out pathetically. Just a faint whisper.

"I am here to debrief you on the operation Yashima timetable."

She goes on about the times of the schedule but Shinji just fills up with dread at the implication of what she is saying. That he has to pilot again. So his foremost reaction came only with the realization that he was naked when Rei told him not to show up like that.

After covering himself up with the sheet, all he manages to answer is "I'm sorry… I've been apologizing since yesterday haven't I?"

Rei pushes the hospital food tray towards his bed "Your meal."

Shinji hesitated, looking away. "I'm not hungry…"

"We will be departing in 60 minutes."

"Do I really have to pilot again?"

Rei kept her stoic manner "Yes, you do."

Shinji just lowered his head into his arms. "I… I know what doctor Robotnik told me made sense. And I know I told Misato I wouldn't run away, but…"

Now some of Rei's stoicism was replaced with curiousness. "But what?"

_I don't wanna do it again! _Shinji's thoughts were screaming at himself, he wanted to yell all that at Rei. _Maybe you can be so cool about it because you've never been through situations like I have! I don't wanna pilot again!_

Rei was still standing very still, just waiting for his reply. Instead of speaking, though, Shinji looked at her, directly in the eye. There was something unsettling in this girl. Something disturbing. He felt that if he told her any of that, Rei would just tell him to stay in bed and she would pilot Unit 01 herself.

On top of that, the image of him, Kensuke, Toji and Hikari having lunch together also popped in his head.

So instead he just took to heart Robotnik's words and his words to Misato. "It's nothing, Ayanami. But nothing. I'll eat and we'll go."

"I'll wait for you outside." She turned to leave and Shinji nibbled on some of the food in the tray.

He almost recoiled from the silver wear. "Ugh. Hospital food…"

**Disclaimer: Evangelion belongs to Gainax, Sonic belongs to Sega. **

**Author's note: A big shout of gratitude once again goes to Gamer Jay for beta reading this AND for promoting it in his own fic. **

**Sorry if the interrogation scene reminded you too much of the dark knight… I honestly didn't have it any other way to play it out… It also inspired me to write the bit below:**

_**Omake:**_

The moment Ritsuko left the room, a feminine yet firm hand grabbed and…

BAM!

…slammed Robotnik's bald head to the table. Robotnik whelped in pain but didn't seem hurt or overall less composed.

He started rubbing his forehead, where the table had hit him, while speaking "Ugh, never start with the head. The victim gets all fuzzy and can't really feel the next-"

BANG!

Misato's fist came down on his hand like a sledge hammer, shutting him up. Surprisingly though, he didn't rub his hand until a few seconds later. "You see? Didn't feel it until now."

"**Wrhy yhou wanna kirr me?!"**

Robotnik blinked "…Um, captain? Why are you talking all guttural and hoarse like that?"

Misato said nothing.

Robotnik blinked again "…Um… could you say that one more time then?"

"**Wrhy yhou wanna kirr me?!"**

Robotnik blinked again "…Um… No, still just guttural sounds to me…"

"**I shaid Wrhy yhou wanna kirr me?!"**

Robotnik blinked again "…Um… Okay we're obviously having some failure in communication. I'm not picking up words…"


	4. Showdown in Tokyo-03, a different take

Disclaimer: Evangelion belongs to Gainax, Sonic belongs to Sega.

Thoughts of gratitude and appreciation: Thanks to Gamerjay for Betareading

**Chapter 4: **_**Showdown in Tokyo-03, a different take **_

"So you see commander, this is the most viable plan and it can be executed in the estimated time table."

One of Kozo Fuyutsuki's many roles in NERV was to stand one foot behind Commander Gendo Ikari in his usual fingers crossed in front of his mouth pose while debriefings or explanations occurred. Neither he nor the Commander expressed any emotion or change in posture as the operations director finished her report on how they would proceed for the battle against the fifth angel, Ramiel.

"I see no reason to disprove of this course of action, captain. You may proceed." Gendo's stoic monotone voice did nothing to the poses him and Kozo we're holding themselves in.

"Thank you, sir." Misato turned but immediately after, she turned back to the two men "Oh, one more thing, sir. You remember my report on the man that brought back the third child?"

"And he's still being held prisoner for compromised information. What about him?"

"It turns out he knew more than he let on." Misato straightened her posture even more. "Sir, I have reasons to believe NERV and its connections to the UN weren't the only things he knew existed. I have the distinct impression that he knew the capabilities of this next angel somehow…"

Fuyutsuki now had a slight interest in what was happening, though his and Gendo's posture remained still and stoic.

"He knew this angel would use a long range weapon of some kind. He knew the Eva would get damaged somehow… He was even pretty specific in pointing out to me how the third child would be hurt because I didn't listen to him…"

Fuyutsuki's face twitched very lightly. In a way you wouldn't have noticed if you weren't paying attention. _How is that possible? The only thing that contains properties of the angels is the Dead Sea Scrolls…_

After a moment of chilling silence, Gendo spoke in a tone more ominous than usual. "I see. I will take this information into consideration captain. You are clear to proceed with Operation Yashima."

"Yes, sir." Misato nodded and turned away again.

After she left, Gendo leaned away from his usual fingers crossed in front of mouth pose, leaning back on his chair to look his sub-commander in the eye. "Robotnik is a new player on the board. He either arrived from an outside source and managed to read the Dead Sea Scrolls somehow, or he is a spy from the old men themselves…"

Fuyutsuki was so surprised he actually lost his calm demeanor and made a very rare expression of shock, slightly widening his eyes and slightly gaped his mouth. _He figured it out just with that much information…_

A moment later he regained his calm emotionlessness. "What do we do?"

"We could tell the old men about him. See how they react to it. Or we could keep him around, gain whatever knowledge we can on the scrolls that is not what we already know."

(SGE)

Misato was worried beyond belief. She had the commander's avail and managed to put everything together for the operation. But what would they do if the broken boy downstairs decided not to go out there anymore? She wouldn't blame him. He had every right to not want any of it anymore. Still, she would have to convince him somehow, even if she had to remind him of his own words to her. Operation Yashima needed two pilots, although Rei was within capabilities of acting as a sniper. To make matters worse, she could do nothing but wait for the two teens to come up, presenting themselves for the briefing.

It certainly didn't help that Ritsuko gave her lip about how crazy this plan was, and that they were technically counting on a strategy from a crazy old man with a huge moustache. Of course Misato answered in her usual playful manner that it was a plan that could be executed in eight hours and there was a chance of success. Even if slim. All that was missing was the main pilot.

She looked at her watch again. It read 17:06.

_It's past the time… where are those two? At least Rei- _

The sound of the door opening cut her negative thoughts and she smiled in relief as the two teen heroes walked through the door and presented themselves in orderly fashion. Although Ritsuko remained stoic, Misato smiled inwardly briefly in relief and admired the courage of the young boy, before resuming her 'head of operations of NERV' demeanor.

What followed was a standard debriefing on the time table and what the children needed to do. Misato couldn't shake of the sense of foreboding doom as Rei and Shinji headed to the dressing stations and she headed to the temporary bunker with Ritsuko.

After hoping in the relay cart that would take them to the bunker, Ritsuko looked at her tablet computer, going over some more work. Misato still had her feeling of ill-omen in her gut as she looked out the window.

_Something isn't… as it should be. Something changed… _As she thought this, her mind flashed to the wicked smile of the only new variable she could think of. The only thing that seemed out of place.

And then she was asked something out loud, but was too focused on her own thoughts to listen.

"I'm sorry, Rits, what?"

The doctor wasn't looking at her, still focused on her tablet. "I said, 'do you think Robotnik is a spy'?"

She looked back ahead. "I was thinking about that. Just what this new variable on the board is. Let's say he's a spy. Who would he be working for, then?"

"The UN?"

Misato blinked as the good doctor went straight there. Straight into conspiracy theory territory.

Sensing the captain's disbelief, Ritsuko continued. "It actually makes sense, Misato. Someone that old and that intelligent, kept in the dark for as long as he was alive? It takes an organization like the UN to pull something like that."

Misato looked pensive. "And unleash him only now that the angels started attacking… Makes sense to some degree but… why keep him in the dark?"

"A lot of war crimes outside of Japan in the past 15 years captain…"

Misato knew Ritsuko was talking about the post Second Impact apocalyptic conditions of the world, so instead of inquiring on that she just took a moment to think and then asked "But why there are no registries on him from even before Second Impact? What was he doing before the world almost ended?"

Ritsuko looked pensive herself, and now she actually looked at Misato to answer. "There were… several circumstances concerning that event, Captain. I would argue even that there could have been… people involved."

Misato frowned and looked at her. "You mean on purpose? How is that possible? Wasn't the purpose of the Antarctica expeditions to simply salvage Adam, or whatever that… thing was?" Misato's hesitation was evident in her frown and her voice. It was never easy talking about the moments before the world almost ended. She was there to see it almost end.

"We're not talking about the event that put this whole war in motion. We're talking about the new piece on the board."

Misato pretended not to notice Ritsuko's 'convenient' change of subject. "Okay, so we have a man who was hiding his whole life… comes to the playing field only after the fourth Angel and knows more than anyone actually fighting in this war…"

Ritsuko didn't look at her to say "It does sound very contrived when you put it like that…"

Misato looked at her again. "…Ritsuko…"

"Of course, that's assuming he was hiding."

"What? What else would he be doing if he wasn't hiding?"

Ritsuko finally looked at her. "We're assuming he was hiding just because there are no files, registries or any kind of information about him. What if he was simply living in isolation?"

"Then how about collage registries? How about him being so intelligent and competent? Someone just doesn't GET that smart, you have to work for it, study under a teacher. And even if he could get like that on his own, what kind of isolation was he living under for it to be so… complete, with the world having no info about him whatsoever?" She then smiled jokingly at her friend. "Was he living in a different dimension or something?"

Ritsuko frowned and looked away from her again. "Just a theory."

Misato looked out the car window again and as the two women went back about their business and thoughts, they finally arrived at the temporary bunker where they would foresee the operation. The Evas were in position and they had only three minutes until mid-night.

(SGE)

"Rei, why do you pilot?"

The question was out of Shinji's mouth before he realized it. However, the pale girl on the platform beside him remained immobile, without any sign of having even listened to his question.

However a moment later she confirmed she heard him by answering "Because it is my link."

"…To my father?"

"…Yes. I have nothing else"

"…"

"…"

"…Um… Listen… Ayanami…"

"…"

"I… I know it's not my place, but…"

"…"

"I don't think you should say stuff like that…"

"…stuff like what?"

Shinji opened and closed his fist, fidget slightly before scratching his head while he spoke. "Don't say you don't have anything. Don't say 'goodbye' before a mission. Thinking that's the last thing you'll ever say, thinking you're about to die brings bad luck."

"…"

"I know it's… true that we might die, to some extent… but…"

"…"

"Well, it's still better than… having nothing…"

"…You're not going to die."

"Huh?"

"…I'll protect you."

During the whole exchange, Rei was staring straight ahead. Her face impassive and unchanging. When the silence became unbearable for Shinji again, he broke it.

"Um…"

"…"

"You don't… even fear what I just said do you? That we might die?"

"I already told you. You're not going to die. And if I die, I can be replaced."

"No you can't!" Shinji's reply came so immediately and so certain that he startled himself. Such outbursts were completely unlike him. That managed to even get a reaction from Rei. She turned her head to finally look at him. "Don't… Don't say stuff like that either Ayanami."

"…"

"You… you're strong. Stronger than me. You can talk about death battles easily and… well…" The third child fidgeted sheepishly. "You pilot… without fear…"

"…"

"So don't say you can be replaced. You are… unique, Ayanami."

"It's time." She looked away and stood up.

"What? Oh. Right."

Both pilots headed for their chambers and started getting ready for plug insertion.

(SGE)

Inside the bowels of the entry plug, in the usual LCL filled solitude and the tingling sensation of synchronization around her, Rei contemplated what had just been told to her by the boy who disrespected the man who meant everything to her.

_I'm… unique…?_

The usual discomfort of being immersed in blood like liquid was there, but instead of just being quiet as usual, she mumbled out a whisper. "…Thank you…"

"Did you say something, Rei?" Doctor Akagi's static voice reached her via com and almost startled her.

"No, doctor."

"The rifle and the shield are prepared. You and Shinji are clear to go."

Rei said nothing to the doctor Eva Unit 00 moved. Instead returning to her own monologue. _Words of gratitude… I never said them to anyone. Never felt the need to say them to anyone. Not even to the commander…_

…

_He's the first…_

(SGE)

_This is it. _Shinji thought as he looked though the scope to the polygonal Angel. Not the best place to question his motivations.

_Pain… is better than nothing… better than not existing at all… Better than doing nothing… _The words uttered to him by a stranger still rang true to him. Even though his reality was still one of despair and darkness, or maybe because of it, pain still seemed better than non-existence. _Am I doing this because it is all I have?_

Then something inside his head clicked when he flashed back to Misato and her talk about the city he saved. _Am I doing this to protect my friends? _

He thought about how he became closer to Toji and Kensuke after he met the strange doctor and stopped running away. How he punched Toji for punching him. How the three of them made a habit of having lunch together and occasionally the class representative would join them as well.

It certainly hurt a lot to get wounded by the angel when this battle started. To a point he almost told Rei he didn't want to pilot anymore when he woke up in the hospital.

_I almost cried. Almost said I wouldn't pilot anymore…_

But he didn't. He also felt it was probably the first time in his life he actually stood up for something. Even though it wasn't for himself, even though he wasn't actually saying anything and just agreed politely to what Rei said.

_So… Life is pain? Is pain an inevitable part of life?_

"Shinji-kun, the rifle and the shield are ready. You and Rei are clear to move." Misato's voice over the com interrupted his inner thoughts. He Accompanied Eva Unit 00, making his purple gargantuan move right behind it, the seconds it took for him to pick up the rifle and walk behind Unit 00 felt like an eternity. There he was, going to do battle with the thing that could kill him.

…_I guess it is…_

And then for some reason he couldn't phantom, he smiled a conformed, very thin smile.

(SGE)

Misato felt a tingling trepidation in her chest as Shinji positioned himself to fire. There were beeping sounds signaling the transfer of electricity and Lieutenant Hyuga declared. "Operation commencing!"

When Shinji seemed to be ready, she stated with a conviction that could boost anybody's confidence. "We are entrusting all the power of Japan to you, Shinji-kun. We are counting on you."

As the vision of the bunker showed Shinji's aim, she stated to the three main technicians of NERV "Initiate primary connections!"

"Transmitting energy from Districts 1 until 803!" came Makoto Hyuga's response.

Even inside the isolated bunker where Misato, Ritsuko and the three main technicians were overseeing the battle, the sound of the thunderous soar of voltage being transferred through gigantic transmitters and battery founts could be heard, even if inside the bunker it was just a whisper. One of the technicians gulped. Misato didn't bother identifying which one of the three it was.

Makoto spoke again upon seeing something on his screen. "All cooling systems are in full operation."

Once again, a thunderous rasp of wind could be heard in the distance, away and outside of the bunker.

Maya Ibuki then typed something in her keyboard as she declared "Verifying positron charge… Initiating secondary connections."

Another female technician in the room stated "All accelerators engaged. Transmitting all of the electricity to the base of mount Futago."

Another male technician complemented with "No problems with any of the connections."

"Release safety locks!" Misato ordered with finality.

"We're raising all the locks!" lieutenant Hyuga stated as the fuse like giant shell could be seen sliding down the station where Shinji lay with Unit 01. Like everyone else in the bunker, Misato couldn't see the shell sliding inside the sniper rifle but when the signal of 'locked and loaded' and 'ready to fire' appeared on one of the screens, she knew Shinji's Eva was ready.

More technicians spoke more about the technicalities of the operation, among the calculations and corrections made for accuracy and voltage. Finally, Makoto spoke again, saying the only thing that interested to Misato.

"Transferring all the energy to the positron Rifle. Transfer complete in nine, eight, seven…"

Misato wet her upper lip. _This is it… Come on, Shinji-kun._

"Six, five-"

"DETECTING HIGH ENERGY SURGE IN THE TARGET!" Maya's voice suddenly cut in, but lieutenant Makoto Hyuga didn't stop his count.

"Four, three-"

"What did you say?" Ritsuko addressed Maya.

"Two, one!"

"FIRE!" Misato commanded Shinji.

The electricity like bolts of light could be seen in the distance, being transferred upon the wires connected to the rifle and then the rifle itself. Misato felt small as the gargantuan in the distance flared up at the same time the angel, even more distant, at the other side of the lake.

She couldn't tell for sure because of the distance and lack of sound from outside but the twin beams of energy seemed to intertwine in the distance, before colliding against their respective waves of onslaught force, missing their targets and exploding several, maybe hundreds of meters of land.

The bunker became hotter, some of the front windows were shattered. Ritsuko fell. Some of the technicians, including Maya, screamed.

The moment things became calmer, Misato lunged forth, focusing on the now broken window. "We missed?"

Nobody on that bunker could tell until the 'breach alert' started blaring, but Ramiel's giant drill reached the Geofront.

"Quick, get the second shot ready!"

"Reloading energy shell!" cried lieutenant Makoto.

"Cooling systems at maximum!" declared lieutenant Ibuki. Immediately after, she screamed "HIGH ENERGY READING IN THE CORE OF THE TARGET!"

"OH NO!" Misato screamed back.

The Angel's second focused beam came. It was too fast for Misato to notice anything amiss, so from her perspective, what it looked like was that the beam hit Unit 01 dead on.

"SHINJI KUN!" She cried like a mother over her endangered child.

The light from the beam hitting its target faded and the image that could be made out was of Unit 00 standing up with the humongous shield like structure in front of it.

She then heard her ward's voice over the com "AYANAMI!"

"Can't we fire yet?!"

"We need 10 more seconds!" came lieutenant Hyuga's response.

"AYANAMI! NO! You can't die here!"

Misato noticed the reason Shinji said that was because after only three seconds of the constant assault from the energy beam, the Shield Unit 00 was holding was gone. Rei had proceeded to use her own body, in this case Unit 00 itself, to stop the onslaught from the Angel.

Misato thought she heard Shinji mumble something to himself as the aim at the Angel came closer to aligning and the cooling meters went down in measuring the temperatures.

One second before Shinji fired a second time, Unit 00 went down, its 'skin' melted and damaged.

The Angel's skin came tumbling down followed by an ocean of fire, its core exposed. The Angel screeched in pain, a howl that everyone in the bunker could hear and it appeared to be over.

Then the core of the Angel shined. It appeared to be damaged, but some sort of resonance came from it and the Angel's polygonal body started rebuilding itself. It wasn't over yet. However there was also something different. Not only was it damaged, the Angel wasn't firing, as if focusing its efforts on remaking its own skin.

Before Misato or anybody in the bunker could say anything about the transpiring events though, Unit 01 became a dashing gargantuan juggernaut, in a manner that it appeared to be completely unstoppable.

"SHINJI-KUN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Misato approached the com.

"Ayanami is down and can't protect me for a third shot. This has to end now!" The calmness in the shy boy's voice as his Eva dashed forth surprised Misato.

"Shinji, wait!" Since the purple colossus kept dashing until it reached Futago Lake, barely slowing down as it walked over water, it was safe to say Shinji ignored her completely.

As if Misato wasn't surprised enough, the Angel stopped rebuilding its own skin, leaving part of its core exposed, shifting its focus back to firing at Unit 01. The beam came in a wave that seemed weaker, but equally deadly as before. Unit 01 dodged itself on a millisecond's precision, avoiding a mortal strike, but the merciless beam continued its assault, correcting its own trajectory as Unit 01 circled around it, approaching it, treasuring every meter it was closer to it.

Misato made a horrified face when that very same merciless beam coming from the angel's center finally did manage to hit Eva unit 01's right shoulder, proceeding to severe its arm.

"OH GOD! SHINJI-KUN!"

(SGE)

Pain. Unbelievable searing scorching pain.

Shinji climbing the Evangelion for the first time was nothing compared to this. This very same angel almost burning a hole through his chest was almost meaningless when compared to what he felt now. The constant coldness from his father was a pool of refreshing water when contrasted with this.

Where were the tears from his crying? Where were the usual whimpers and recoil backs? Why wasn't he just cowering in the corner? Why didn't he leave the melted Unit 00 and useless equipments behind and ran out of there? Any of those options seemed and felt like something he would do in a situation like this. Not even when he reached the lake he stopped his assault, he just ran atop the water.

Even more amazingly, he had been prepared for the Angel's strike. So when a deadly light flashed in his sight, he nudged himself in a running position of elliptical format. It wasn't enough. The beam still hit him. And after the angel's laser like beam meant to hit his chest missed, tearing off his right arm, he kept dashing.

All of that incredible blazing burning on his shoulder and all it did to him was to make him simply fumble a little on his feet before continue dashing.

He didn't think, he didn't scream, he didn't stop to do any of the things he would usually do. He wasn't even self-aware enough to process how surprised at himself he was.

However, it was not the end. Amazingly, he had the presence of mind to dodge once again, evading the continuation of the death beam threatening his life. Running in an erratic pattern that would be difficult for a straight line that was the Angel's particle beam to hit. The angel was getting closer and closer.

Even more amazingly, when the beam finally DID hit Unit 01 again, it was once again avoided by a millisecond precision movement, and this time it was only the left shoulder. Shinji felt the same searing scorching pain. Eva Unit 01 now had no arms.

And was still running towards the Angel. Still getting closer.

Finally, Shinji was close enough. Shinji judged to be in a close enough position to jump the angel, so he did. Evangelion Unit 01 lunged forth and, at the same time, its two feet hit the Angel with incredible force, the partially rebuilt Angel skin was retracted enough to completely expose the core. However, also at the same time, another beam of light poured forth with immense power.

Evangelion Unit 01 now didn't have both of its legs. The left leg flew hundreds of meters before it fell in a thunderous sound, flailing lifelessly.

Using the remaining leg, Shinji hopped with his full force, concentrating all of the pain he felt, all of the misery constricting his chest, all of the repressed woes in one final lunge, made with only one leg. All of it while he was missing three of his other main limbs. Never before had he felt so in pain, so angry, so determined and so sad before.

He never felt so alive either.

_I was right. Being in pain IS part of being alive! _

That was the first thought he managed to process since the battle started. He then made perfect use of the momentum he gained from hopping with one foot, he went face first into the angel's core. The angel howled in pain when Unit 01's horn cracked the circle in its center, making web like designs in it. Somehow, however, the angel was still alive.

_No! I was so close!_

As Shinji was about to give into despair, he thought he saw something. Something small, round, and VERY fast. The next millisecond, there was a hole in the angel's core. A round hole, perfectly shaped as a circle in the spider web like cracks he had made with Unit's 01 horn.

The angel howled. This time louder than when just Unit 01's face hit it, cracking the core. Then there was an immeasurable amount of blood spreading itself, tainting the lake. The angel's polygonal body also became unmade, dissipating itself in uncountable pieces, spreading across hundreds of meters in a symphony of death and destruction.

Shinji blinked. Something small finished the angel off after he had weakened it with the Eva's face. Before he could ponder on it, he remembered how much pain he was in and how much pain someone else probably was in as well.

"AYANAMI!" His voice sounded different somehow. More projected, more confident. He felt he would have blushed upon realizing that about himself if it wasn't for all the pain he was feeling and the task at hand. Rei needed help.

Evangelion Unit 01 then stood up. It was no simple task since it had only its right leg. After standing, it hopped on that one leg, making a thunderous sound every time it hit the water and then the ground and sending unbelievable stimuli of pain through Shinji's body. Shinji ignored the pain and focused at the task at hand. He could see the fallen form of Unit 00 in the distance.

Unit 01 fell less than a hundred meters away from Unit 00. Never before had Shinji felt so amazingly relieved to have the sensation of synchronization flee him. It was like the burning had stopped suddenly and healed itself. It was like he had his whole body immersed in ice, to the point the cold was burning his entire being, and then he wasn't in ice anymore. The nightly warm breeze felt like heavenly bliss the moment he left the entry plug.

"Ayanami! AYANAMI!" He started crying out before he was even close to the hatch that opened Unit 00's entry plug. The burning sensation caused by the heat in the handle of the entry plug was completely easy to ignore.

Steam and used LCL came bursting forth along with a reek of death in the form of deadly jets of steam. Shinji stopped a little to cough and breath before calling out again. "Ayanami!"

The pale form was sitting, seemingly unconscious. The redness all around her and her sickly aspect made her seem even more pale than usual. Whether it was because of that fact or because the rush of adrenaline and courage were still coursing through Shinji, he went inside the entry plug and held the girl to his chest, taking her shoulders with his right hand and her left hand with his left hand. "Ayanami, please! Talk to me! Open your eyes!"

Slowly, the girl opened her eyes. "Ikari… kun…?"

Shinji's worried teary eyed expression shifted to a smile. "It's alright, Ayanami. It's over." He closed his eyes and his tears came in earnest now.

When his sobbing didn't stop, Rei asked. "Ikari… What's wrong?"

Shinji wiped his cheeks. "Sorry about that, Rei. It's just… I'm glad you're safe."

Rei looked away. "I'm sorry…"

Shinji's smiling face became a confused one. "Huh? For what?"

"I couldn't protect you. You had to drop the rifle and run towards the Angel. And I… don't know how to act in this situation…"

Shinji blinked and smiled again. "Don't worry about it. I said you were unique, that you couldn't die. I'd protect you."

Rei hesitated and blushed. That sight actually startled Shinji. His widened eyes went back to normal when she spoke again. "…Thank you…"

"D-don't mention it." Shinji wasn't sure why he stuttered.

"I still don't know how I should react."

Shinji smiled at her again. "You… should be glad you're okay. Glad we've won. You should smile…"

To his immense surprise, Rei rested her head on his arm that was still steadying her shoulders and smiled the most beautiful, most earnest smile he had ever seem.

Shinji blushed crimson and, as if realizing only now that he was still holding her to his chest, he looked away and started pushing her up so she would stand. "W-w-we should get back to the rescue point…"

Both pilots stood up, walked out of Unit 00's entry plug. The sense of accomplishment was completely checked off by the landscape of desolation around them. Shinji still had a nagging feeling that something finished what he started with the Angel's core.

_I… probably just imagined that. I was the one that pierced the Core somehow._

(SGE)

Kensuke felt awesome. That was definitely putting it mildly, for the heavenly bliss hadn't left his chest and the wonderful smile was still on his face even after he got home after 3:00 AM, after the lights of electricity had flared back on. To his everlasting dread, his father was sitting on his living room chair, staring at the door when he opened it. He had received a through 'bad, bad boy' sermon followed by a 'never do that again' lecture and the declaration he would be grounded for two weeks and it was still all worth it.

The trouble he had hacking into his dad NERV account to find out how this battle would go, triangulating the best position to watch the Evangelions as they moved, even if it turned out to be the roof of his school, which was totally worth breaking into. All those problems meant nothing. It was totally worth it.

The friends from his class, Toji included, that watched the battle with him, from the point the Evangelions moved to their positioning themselves to the firing from a safe distance. Even more amazingly, it became even more awesome. Shinji missed the first shot and the second shot didn't kill the angel, he had to move to close quarters combat by RUNNING.

_So cool… _He thought as he got ready for bed.

He was completely and utterly blissed out. Nobody on earth was happier. And he would probably sleep like a baby and dream dreams of how awesome the Evangelions were.

_I didn't know Shinji had it in him to just drop the rifle and run like that…_

That would have been the last thought on his head if he hadn't heard the distinct sound of water being splashed. Water being splashed VERY close by.

_Something fell on the apartment pool…? _It actually made sense for Kensuke to think that, for he lived on the first floor of his building, the pool was near enough for him to hear the water splashing, should something fall on it.

(SGE)

"I say this conversation is long overdue."

"Indeed it is. Who are you?"

"I am Doctor Ivo Robotnik, my dear commander."

"I already know that much. Elaborate."

The doctor stood his ground even though the figure before him was fairly intimidating. For a human. He maintained his posture and his wicked smile. The commander also kept his posture and his statue like fingers laced in front of his face pose.

_I have to admit, Mr. Gendo Ikari, commander of NERV; you outshine the image I had of you and what I read about you… I suppose I can throw you a bone since I still need to get wind of a lot of things in this universe._

"As you may already know, I got wind of the mysterious and enigmatic source your would be masters consult. Perhaps you and I can help each other."

"You would have me believe you don't work for the old men?"

Robotnik's smile grew into almost laughter "You would have me believe you don't plan on betraying the… what did you call them… _Old men _to get what you want?"

The silence was not one of two enemies studying each other. It was a silence of two dangerous predators meeting for the first time, assessing the threat level, judging whether or not their territory, what they wanted was in jeopardy. Weighting the possibilities.

It took Robotnik less courage then he'd think to break that silence. "Look, you need help killing the Angels, right?"

"…"

"I can give you that help. I have seen the properties of all the Angels. Grant me freedom in your organization. Let me work for you. Sooner than you think, you will see we are both advancing our own agendas."

"…"

Robotnik's smile faded a little. "…"

"…"

"…um…"

Gendo was still a sphinx. "…"

"…"

"…"

Robotnik's smile faded some more "I think this is the part you say 'very well'…"

"You are requesting a considerable amount of authority and resources based solely on what you know and on the capacities of your intellect."

Robotnik put a finger to his mouth, pensive "I suppose it does sound trite putting it like that, but tell you what…" He then came one step closer to the commander, waving a finger in explanatory manner, emphasizing his next points "I know the… sources I consulted with will be… endangered if the Evangelions are not the only feasible defense against the Angels. So, as a bonus, and test of my meddle and my abilities, I will… take 'good care' of the 'human creation' I'm sure you are well enough aware of."

Again Gendo said nothing, his whole being still statue like, which was starting to frustrate Robotnik somewhat. _Gee, this guy is colder than Shadow and stiffer than Knuckles! Just agree already, so I can take Jet Alone for myself and-_

"Very well, then."

He was surprised when Gendo cut his train of thought, but smiled anyway. "Excellent. Thank you very much my dear commander."

He turned to leave and had to restrain himself not to roar in laughter until he was out of Gendo's lair. _I have given the first step. Now I can order NERV children to step on you with their Evas, Sonic. With you dead, all that will be left to do is claim instrumentality and this world for myself._

(SGE)

As soon as the fat egg shaped man left the immenseness of Gendo's oval office, the lights went on, revealing the design of the tree of life constantly in front of Gendo and the Sub-commander standing behind him with his arms crossed behind him.

"So we're going with option two?" Asked Fuyutsuki.

"Whether he really works for the old men or not, he has his own agenda like us. If he becomes an inconvenience we can just talk to the old men." Answered Gendo while remaining immobile.

"What about the contingencies that Robotnik might cause instead of preventing?"

"We don't know which those are yet or if they exist, so it is impossible to even think about them. If he really is a trap from the old men, we can always simply deal with him directly since he is not officially telling us anything, nor does he officially exist."

Kozo spared him a glance, at first thinking about being a bit horrified at how casually he just spoke about killing someone over information. Then he remembered how thoroughly he and his companion had dammed themselves since the woman they both loved died and simply stayed quiet.


	5. I'm rad I'm blue

**Chapter 5: **_**I'm rad, I'm blue… **_

Sonic felt sore, queasy in the stomach and like he had been reduced to molecules and remade someplace else. It was like his entire body vibrated into some other place that he wasn't at the time. On top of that, his sense of direction, one of his strongest senses, was faltering. When he finally stood up, he had to place a hand in the wall to steady himself.

"Ugh, I feel sick…" he muttered as he placed his other hand on his face. A thought occurred to him.

"This is like when I use 'Chaos Control'. Only a LOT stronger… I might vomit, geesh…"

Finally realizing he was just talking to himself, he began taking note of his surroundings, removing his hand from his face and looking around. He was on top of some sort of small building and the hand he used to steady himself was placed in the steel wall of a huge protuberance of that strange storage like building. And that building was dwarfed by another building, bigger and equally plated.

Other buildings like that were around and judging by the general design of the city itself, other buildings were protected by plates of military design. It was then that he realized something that made him tense up. He was inside some sort of fortress city. The same type of fortress he penetrated running through and bashing robots so many times before.

"Humph. Is this another one of your fortresses, Robotnik?" he said to no one in particular while looking around.

He then noticed the dark sky and the lack of people and the lack of things attacking him. That made him realize this was probably not a work from Robotnik, similar to it as it was in it war like setting, plates of metal protecting every structure and several features appearing to be hidden by metal protection. But it wasn't some kind of abandoned ruin either, which begged the question.

"Where is everybody? It's night so, is it bed time or something?"

He looked up as if confirming it was night time and then he looked around him. No new info, except for noticing something very familiar with an even more familiar green glow and reflective surface. Even though it was several meters away, on the other side of the building top, he spotted it easily because it was that familiar and bright.

"SWEET!" He smiled as he walked fast towards it and picked it up from the ground, masterfully tossing it into air again before catching it mid fall and bringing it to his face.

"So you managed to come here with me, huh? I think I'll definitely need you," he said to the green Chaos Emerald three inches away from his nose.

He then realized, with the darkness and the emptiness, that he needed a better look of things.

"Now, let's take a better look from a panoramic view," he told himself and dashed towards one of the opposite walls, briefly breaking the sound barrier and using that huge instantaneous momentum to reach the top of the building. He stopped, standing at the very ledge of the highest point of the highest building.

And then, as if to tease him, the lights that illuminated the night sky vanished, almost instantaneously. Every light in every building went off.

"Aw come ON!" He whined.

And then he noticed something. Something big, over the other edge of the fortress city, atop a lake. Something polygonal and weird in its shape but it was something else that Sonic noticed as its weirdest trait.

"What the hey? How come that… giant cubic thing didn't go dark?" Indeed, that strange 'construction' was the only thing in an area as far as the eye could see that didn't go dark. He then frowned at what he was looking at. "What's it doing to that pristine clean water of the lake?"

Every danger instinct Sonic had was blaring, telling him that thing was dangerous. So his first reaction was to assume it was somehow polluting the water of the lake, maybe even stealing the electricity of the city he was at, and the first thing he did was look for traces of pollution in the region of the lake it seemed to have some sort of spiraled column.

Upon closer inspection with eye squinting and jumping to a nearer building, he saw that the thing wasn't atop the lake per se, just near it. Looking even closer, he saw that what it had wasn't some sort of spiraled column, it was really a drill and it was actually drilling the ground. By now he had jumped to four buildings nearer to the lake and was almost on the edge of it.

"What are you doing? And why are you doing it?" He raised one eyebrow at giant strange thing in the distance. "Maybe I should take a closer look… I don't like doing this atop of… WATER, but…"

He made a face at the lake separating the 'giant glowing polygonal thing drilling the ground near the lake' from him. But then he grinned a smile that beamed with confidence. "…it's not like I'm gonna sink in the water or something…"

Then he boosted.

This time the sound barrier wasn't broken. It only came close to broken. Enough speed so that he could run atop the water. While he was running, the polygonal large monstrosity glowed brighter and, somehow darker too. It was like his glow was an ominous eerie shroud enveloping something extremely dangerous. Sonic recognized that glow. Only it was the largest he had ever seen.

"…no way…" Sonic widened his eyes as he ran towards it. "Is… Is it going to fire a laser THAT big?!"

It did fire.

Sonic could feel the heat from the enormous beam of energy above him, even though it was way above him. It was that big. Sonic then noticed, even if it took him a fraction of a second due to the size of it, that the laser wasn't directed at him.

He could not see what its target was or even what happened. He was too small, the laser and the thing that fired it too big for him to openly interact without platforms reaching for it.

_When the egghead builds something that massive, I usually have platforms to reach it! _He gritted his teeth as he focused around him. And what he did manage to see was that the laser had somehow been diffused to the far left of the lake, creating a tsunami.

"Uh oh!" His eyes widened at the wave of water coming towards him. He made a bending curvature shape, as curvy as the surface of the water allowed him without sinking in the water. Now he was running atop water in the opposite direction.

Direction upon which he frowned, then raised one eyebrow at.

"Robots?"

Indeed what he was seeing looked like robots. One purple and the other yellow. The purple one was laying down, a very big rifle like thing in his hands, the yellow one was standing up right behind the purple one, holding something very large and shaped like a plane with small wings. The purple one had an intimidating face with a horn on the forehead while the yellow one looked like a Cyclops. It then occurred to Sonic the gun was probably to shoot back at the laser shooting giant polygon.

And then Sonic noticed he could make out all those details even though they were on the other side, the very far other side of the lake he was running atop of. Even though he was running fast enough to stay atop the water, they still seemed distant.

"…Giant robots?"

He had to keep running, otherwise he'd sink in the water, so, without any clear motive in particular, he thought he could just try and interact with the purple and yellow giant robots instead of the mean looking laser shooting giant polygon. To see why they were firing lasers at each other.

Then for no apparent reason, the yellow robot got in front of the purple robot with the plane looking thing in front of it, the thunderous stomps of his steps muffled by the distance but still audible to Sonic, leaving only the tip of the purple robot's rifle exposed.

Sonic then noticed the plane looking thing was meant to be a shield. The yellow robot used it to block the laser shot from the polygonal looking thing. He felt every millisecond of the shot approaching him, passing above him and hitting the shield of the yellow robot with a glare. Every particle of heat that hit him didn't hurt him, but he felt it. Each one of them. He was feeling the usual rush of running side to side in a dangerous situation.

_And now I am also fairly certain the polygonal thingy is evil. Call it intuition._

This time he wasn't smiling though, for this was a dire situation. He was in the cross fire between a giant polygonal death ray shooter and two giant robots, running atop a lake. On top of not tiring easily, he had the Chaos Emerald with him so he didn't have to worry about sinking in the water. Still the situation was indeed dire because he had no way of reaching the polygonal thing or the giant robots.

Both laser shots died out and when the darkness of the night befell again, the clarity of the area gone with the flashes of the two laser beams, only regular clarity that made Sonic blink his eyes back to normal sight, the ghosts of the phantom brightness gone, he saw a white molten mass in front of the purple robot and the yellow robot fallen to the purple's left.

"HEY!" Sonic yelled as he realized the shield had been melted to the deformed white mass in front of and all around the purple robot and the yellow robot was also badly damaged. Then he turned around in a big angle, same as when he dodged the tsunami. "Not cool!" He yelled again.

Now he was running towards the polygonal structure. And it was at that time he heard stomping. Not just stomping, thunderous blasts that echoed in the night. After the first three blasts, they were accompanied by thunderous splashes of water. Something thunderous, something giant, was running his direction, crossing the lake with him, right behind him.

He looked back, just looked, not turning around like the previous two times, and sure enough, the purple robot had indeed dropped his rifle and was running towards the polygonal thing on the other side of the lake.

"You crazy, big guy? His laser's gonna torch you!" Sonic addressed the robot as it ran. Of course it didn't hear him nor did it appear to mind the fact the polygonal giant across the lake was readying another shot. Since the purple colossus was giant enough and faster than something giant would be, it caught up with Sonic. The thunderous waves it was doing as it walked on the water were sending waves, not as big as the tsunami caused by the laser, towards Sonic.

Faster than eyes or even cameras could see, Sonic dodged the waves, keeping up his running to stay atop the water, going even faster than before. One thunderous purple leg stepped his right, he would duck and side step left. One thunderous purple leg stepped his left, he would duck and side step right.

And then he heard the tearing sound of metal being burned and torn asunder. He looked to his right upwards, from the area where the sound came, and saw the gigantic purple arm of the robot flying away, torn metal and some strange liquid behind it.

When he realized he was distracted by that brief carnage, the purple robot had passed him, one giant purple leg stepping to his left, then to his right. It seemed to gain speed when it lost its right arm.

Sonic blinked, surprised, and then frowned "No giant lump of metal goes faster than me!"

And his world went silent. His legs almost sliding across the water as the sound barrier shattered behind him.

In no time, he reached the Robot again. He smiled when a thought occurred to him. _I can use you to reach the huge polygonal thing blastin' at you! _

So instead of just passing the purple robot as he could have, he timed his running exactly right, as he always does, and then jumped at the exact moment the giant left foot went inside the water. With surgical precision, even when moving above the speed of sound, he landed atop the foot of the robot, holding on to it and steadying himself. It was nice to stop running for a while, especially after continuously running for so long, even if he had to hold his breath for two seconds when the robot's left foot stepped again, going under the water of the lake.

He couldn't stop for long though. The robot was still running, still submerging him in water and emerging him back with every step, but he still managed to see the laser from the polygonal thing was still being dished out, still laying out punishment to whatever was caught in front of it.

Being atop the robot's left foot, clinging to the point its foot and its leg connected, while the robot was running, in a curved line no less, making him feel the momentum of it all, he couldn't see exactly what happened, but he did see the robot's left arm fly away in the same manner the right one did. More torn metal and dark liquid behind it as it crossed the night sky.

"Crap!" Sonic cursed under his breath and when the foot submerged into the lake and then emerged again, he jumped when the foot he was on was at its highest point to the middle of the other leg, more accurately, to the lower part of the right thigh. Taking full benefit from the momentum of his landing and of the robot's movement, Sonic took hold of that millisecond when he landed, running up the robot's right thigh.

As he ran through the surface of the robot's waist, alternating between jumping and running when he had to (the robot kept moving and Sonic made use of the protuberances of the robot's armor), he went upwards the torso. The robot LUNGED. All Sonic felt was the huge momentum of the gargantuan going up to the sky, were Sonic not used to huge instantaneous accelerations, he would have fallen right out of the purple metal chest he was running around atop and bouncing within protuberances of.

THUMP! UMP!

After that thunderous echoed sound of both legs hitting something, Sonic assumed it was the giant polygon with the death ray, the robot bounced back to the lake. Water splashed loudly as that giant polygon's laser got dangerously close to him, he felt the heat from it again. Although Sonic had the self preservation instinct of going the other way, running back up the robot's back, away from its waist, the laser then finally subsided and didn't even try to hit Sonic.

"Ouch…" was all Sonic could mutter as he saw one purple left leg flying away, torn metal and liquid behind it.

Sonic then noticed, still running up the robot's back, something monstrous; the dark liquid coupling the metal looked more like blood then like oil.

"Ew! No, it's not possible…" Was all he said as he reached the back of the robot's neck, finally stopping again. He then felt the momentum of the robot jumping at the same time he saw the polygon's laser charging up again.

He smiled at the purple huge back of neck he was running towards and moving about on.

"Hopping on one leg, are we?"

Sonic felt every bit of that momentum and that was all he had time to say before the robots face came down REALLY fast, leaving him in the air.

Now in free fall, Sonic realized the robot went head first to the polygonal thing exposed core. Yes an 'exposed core' was the best way to describe what he was seeing. Having had countless battles with robots and giant robots, Sonic easily recognized that was the polygonal thing's weak spot. As he fell, he also noticed how the polygon's general 'carcass', the thing protecting the core, was destroyed.

_The laser and the double kick from the purple robot must've done that…_ was all he thought before the next thing happened. He heard a thunderous slam that caused a very loud cracking of a hard surface. Paying attention to where the sound came from, he easily figured out the purple robot hopped on one leg to head butt the polygon's core.

_Okay big guy, I'll finish this for us! _Following this train of thought, Sonic made his signature 'stomp spin' right after the purple robot fell back. He came crashing down, aided by gravity and his downwards vibration spinning, his speed shattered the sound barrier again, going instantaneously downwards, straight through that core.

That was when he heard an acute shrill scream that nearly made him go deaf, made him cover his ears as soon as he stopped spinning, made him crease his brown in sorrow and grief.

_This thing was… alive?_

He couldn't help but wonder whether or not he had helped the bad guys, but quickly dismissed it, seeing how it was an abomination that was pretty much destroying everything in its wake. That conclusion wasn't shaken even when the core poured fourth tons and tons of a liquid that looked a lot like blood.

_And that purple robot's pilot is pretty much an invincible hero that kept running and fighting even without three limbs._

Sonic assumed that robot had a pilot totally unlike Robotnik. The same purple robot in question fell back to the lake, its body making a giant splash that reverberated around the entire surface of the lake, he realized he was falling as the inner structure of the polygon crashed down and bled out around him. He also noticed explosions. Lots of explosions as the polygonal thing died and unmade itself. He also knew that even if he escaped the explosions, he would probably do so in the direction of the lake and he wouldn't be able to run atop it anymore, being too above the surface.

Only one way to survive: not be there anymore. Sonic finally held the green Chaos Emerald in his hand upwards and focused on it. _Take me somewhere nicer!_

He then screamed "Chaos Control!" and then vanished in a brief bright sparkle of green light that briefly made the shape of a circle.

(SGE)

Sonic always wished he had a better control of that teleportation skill since the first time he ever used it. Back then it was a stroke of luck that got him back into the ARK Colony when he used it to return, avoiding death by explosion of the escape pod. He couldn't focus on a single locality the way Shadow could, so his teleportation was always random. Always erratic.

This time however he wished that more than any of the other times. The emerald took him to a point that was ahead of time. He wasn't sure how long it took him between places, but he was definitely a least few hours into the future. Not only that, he was also right above a swimming pool.

A swimming pool full of water.

He widened his eyes and bared his teeth at the water in an expression of terror and surprise before trying boosting away as the water's surface approached.

"No more juice!" He said to himself dumb folded as he realized he ran atop the lake, ran with enough speed to stay atop water, for a VERY long time, did maneuvers on it and more. He also had just used what little energy the Chaos Emerald had. He was really falling to his doom. So he did the only thing he could do when he was about to hit the water and sink in it.

He gradually widened his eyes even more and screamed as he fell.

"No, no, no, noo NOOOO-"

SPLASH! The water cut him off as he fell on it and sunk in it.

GLOB, BUBBLE! BUBBLE!

And now Sonic was sitting on the cold bottom of tiles, submerged in water, with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. The usual sensation of being air deprived and of movement being hindered by the almost invisible material around him causing the same dread it always caused him.

_I should have learnt how to swim… _It's what he thought every time he found himself in this kind of situation. It definitely didn't help his dread and his frown when he realized the tiles he was in were extremely slippery. His shoes, emerged in water, would have no friction with it. He was bound to the spot he was sitting now, unable to run, unable to jump towards the ladder that led out of the pool. Also, said ladder seemed kind of unreachable since he probably couldn't jump that high because of the lack of friction either.

He tried running towards the ladder nonetheless. His legs moved, his feet just skittered in the same title. He just sat down again on the same spot, he was now frowning harder. When said frown scanned the ground, he couldn't see any bubbles of air coming from the ground.

Panic began gripping him when he realized that unless help arrived soon, he would drown.

(SGE)

For some reason unknown to himself, Kensuke snuck out of his house (his father was upset enough, he didn't need to know about this next escapade) and he ran down his stairs and made his way towards the pool of his apartment complex. For some reason he was in a hurry to get to the pool and so didn't bother asking permission or anything along those lines as he got past the gates leading to the pool area.

When he realized something had indeed fallen on his building's swimming pool, looking through the window of his room, he just went for it. Maybe it was the rush of the battle he'd just seen, maybe it was some unseen cry for help. But he didn't waste any time. In less than two minutes he was by the swimming pool seeing something blue on the bottom of it, apparently struggling.

Struggling in a very distinct and easy to identify manner. Kensuke's mouth was agape as he observed it. _It… it doesn't know how to swim…? But… but, what IS it?_

One of his eyebrows went up as he tried to make out the shape of it, even though his vision was hindered because whatever it was, it was submerged. Kensuke didn't know of any blue spiky wild animals. He assumed it was a wild animal judging by the size of it, it was at least as big as a cheetah or some kind of wild cat. Maybe as big as Kensuke himself. The fact that it was blue wasn't what Kensuke found strangest of all, however, because when he strained his eyes some more, straightening his glasses, he made out spikes, actual quills that looked like spikes.

_Maybe I'm… seeing things…? _Kensuke was still unable to process words. Still unable to process what the thing in his pool was. He did, however, process what he came to do out here in the first place when the struggling of the blue creature became more evident.

_Whatever it is, it's definitely drowning. _

Kensuke lost maybe two seconds removing his pajama shirt and his glasses, followed by carefully removing then and placing then on the pool's ledge. He left the pajama short on, for he currently wore nothing underneath it.And then he dove inside the swimming pool water.

_Never thought school's swimming lessons would actually be useful. _Indeed they were useful, Kensuke's dive was perfect and it didn't take him two seconds to reach the middle of the pool. _What the hell…?_

Kensuke gasped bellow the water, bubbles coming out of his mouth. He thought the chlorine water was playing a trick on him. He now took a closer look, actually made out the image of the blue animal drowning in his pool.

It wasn't exactly like an animal, though. It seemed almost humanoid in its shape. It had skin on its arm and muzzle, or at least color of skin, and its white paws had fingers that made them look remarkably like human hands with fingers.

_Wait, human hands with fingers…?_

When Kensuke processed that, he was surprised again.

_Wait, is it reaching out to me…?_

All of that happened in the few seconds it took for Kensuke to swim towards him. When its paw DID reach for him, as if pleading for help, Kensuke hesitated for maybe a second, only to process this was actually happening.

He grabbed the thing's 'hand'.

Yes, it was a hand. It had fingers and shape remarkably similar to a human's, even if they were a bit big for its size. Also surprising, the whiteness actually seemed and felt like wool tissue. Now that he actually looked at the thing, it also had big eyes, big almost interconnected to each other eyes. A green iris could be made out even under water. But it WAS definitely an animal. Blue spiked skin coupled itself with a shape that was also animal like, even though slightly humanoid.

Kensuke didn't allow himself to become flabbergasted or stuck in shock in any way, for he suddenly remembered he was under water and the creature's eyes seemed to be pleading as much as its grip on his hand to get out of the pool and breath air. So he swam upwards holding its hand, only three strokes and he reached the surface. The thing holding his hand seemed to force its own weight on him only to reach the surface with him or even before him.

_It really doesn't know how to swim… What IS it?! _His mind screamed at him as he asked himself the same question of before, and he was smiling under water. He would be screaming for real if he wasn't submerged. When he took its hand he got a closer look at it, perceiving what could only be described as a five foot tall hedgehog. Almost as tall as Shinji, as tall as him. It had a muzzle and spikes. Though it was blue, the shape was definitely of a very big hedgehog, coupled with spikes that resembled quills, even if it was slightly more humanoid than a hedgehog would be and had something akin to human skin in the muzzle and in the arms.

Now Kensuke definitely wanted to see this thing in the light and without water restraining his vision. His smile grew into a large grin just before they emerged.

And when they emerged, when both of them breathed again, the blue hedgehog surprised him not only by making a sucking air sound a lot higher and a lot more raspy than his, but also by planting its foot on his shoulder and jumping out of the water, onto the ledge of the pool. The agility and speed of that jump impressed Kensuke. Still breathing and appearing relieved beyond measure it was out of water, Kensuke thought he saw it smile.

Kensuke didn't notice before, not even when one of the hedgehog's feet stepped on his shoulder, but he was clad in red knickers of some kind, ornate with white details, including large loose socks that seemed made of the same material of his gloves.

SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE!

Kensuke recoiled slightly when he shook the water of his body, quivering dry what seemed like every spike of his body. Kensuke didn't even process he made his shirt and glasses wet, having landed from his jump out of the pool near them and shaking himself dry near them. This was too awesome for 'upset your clothes got wet'.

Kensuke heaved himself out of the pool, leaving his shirt and glasses on the ledge. His near-sightedness not mattering as he studied the blue humanoid before him. Kensuke basically wasn't seeing things thanks to the water or anything like that. What stood before him was basically an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with green eyes, white gloves and red shoes.

"Thanks!"

Kensuke yelped and jumped a step back when he saw his mouth move and his voice coming out of it. This hedgehog spoke. This shocked Kensuke so much he almost didn't notice that it also gave him a left thumb up as it thanked him.

"Y-you… you can TALK?!" Kensuke was still smiling as he approached himself back to him, widening his arms slightly, as if wanting to embrace the hedgehog.

The blue hedgehog blinked. "Of course."

"Th… th-that's AMAZING!" The hedgehog blinked, recoiling back slightly and Kensuke tried controlling himself, trying to stop stuttering even though this was the most awesome thing ever. "I'm… I'm Kensuke! Kensuke Aida!"

Kensuke didn't know why he just introduced himself like that to a blue anthropomorphized hedgehog the same height as him but was glad to hear its answer.

"I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

(SGE)

**Author's note: For the disclaimer, see the first five chapters. Big thanks goes once again to Gamerjay for beta reading. **

**Sorry about the delay. This chapter came out very big(more on that later) and I realized kind of too late I had to write Sonic's point of view now rather than later. **

**Before you ask (or panic…), no, Kensuke will be ****nothing**** like Chris from Sonic X. I don't care much for Sonic X. I don't hate it like most people do, I think it was an okay series for kids (and for kids only… like between 7 and 10 year olds…), and that's why I don't care much for it. Also why most people hate it too, I think…**

**And before anybody give any crap like "Sonic is 100 cm tall, that's only 3 and a half feet tall, that's not as tall as Kensuke", let me say this: in Sonic 06 (horrible gameplay, but still cool music and cool story, so it exists) he is a bit below Elize's shoulder height. I'm considering Elize to be at least regular tall, and this is modern sonic we're talking about, modern Sonic IS taller than classic Sonic (see Sonic Generations). And Sonic also doesn't make for quite the hero type, at least not in the Eva universe, if he is only 3 and a half feet tall. **

**Again, this came out a big Chapter, Sonic did lots of things. So much so that I had to divide this chapter in two. Next chapter should be up in no time. What you guys think of my portrayal of 'Sonic falls in the Eva verse'? I'm not getting that many reviews, only views and favorites and followers, so…**

**Yeah, read and review is greatly appreciated. See you guys next time.**


	6. and I'm here!

**Chapter 6: …**_**And I'm here!**_

Kensuke had the childish instinct of wanting to 'keep' the creature all for himself. Referring to Sonic like a 'creature' didn't sit well with him because of the talking and the anthropomorphic features but still, Sonic wasn't human. Nevertheless Kensuke was overjoyed when Sonic agreed to go with him and stay behind him.

Kensuke made double sure nobody would was around to see him as he headed to the elevator. Then he hesitated a moment and headed for the stairs.

"Um, why… don't you wanna take the elevator?" Kensuke was again overjoyed when the hesitant voice behind him questioned the illogical step.

He looked back to make sure Sonic talked to him. Make sure Sonic was still there and that he wasn't crazy. He smiled when confirmation of it all came. "It's only three floors. It's okay."

That was a lie. Kensuke just wanted to make sure nobody would see him. When they turned at the third floor, Kensuke made a halting gesture at Sonic. Sonic looked confused but stopped nonetheless.

"Okay, the coast is clear. Let's go."

Sonic looked even more confused and Kensuke almost told him he was just making sure nobody would be around to see the blue anthropomorphic hedgehog almost as tall as Kensuke. When they finally arrived at his door, Kensuke opened the door very slowly and very quietly, making sure to check inside as well.

(SGE)

"Okay, the coast is still clear. Come in!"

Sonic hesitantly made his way into Kensuke's apartment. He was a bit surprised when the boy just bluntly offered his house's facilities like a fan boy would his idol. Sonic was tired and hungry so it seemed like the best idea ever. So he wouldn't even have minded but the boy with glasses and wet pajamas kept making sure nobody was around whenever they moved. He made double sure he kept him out of sight. Not that Sonic minded, it just made him make a confused face one or two times.

"Let me just get a towel back here and let's go to my room."

He picked a towel from what seemed like the house's dispense. He was searching light switches, about to turn the lights on but Kensuke stopped him, walking around the dark kitchen and living room, Kensuke repeated the motions of making sure nobody was around.

_Dude. In your own crib? _Sonic made a face and rose an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything as they slowly (silently) walked towards his room as Sonic took note of his surroundings. Seemed like a regular apartment, but Sonic saw the same 'alien' properties of the structures around him, even though it was dark.

_Guess this really is another universe…_

That was the only and first time the lights actually flicked on. Sonic's eyes quickly got accustomed to it and when they did, Sonic was bombarded with posters imagery, DVDs books and toys of the military. Military, series' stuff and the like were scattered throughout the entire bedroom, save the computer and the bed. And even the computer desk had some gadgets on it. Toy planes were hanging by lines from the ceiling.

Sonic gave a slight smile as he looked around and then back at Kensuke. "So you're a bit of a genius geek huh? That explains a LOT."

Kensuke seemed to almost lose his focus on taking off his wet shirt, hesitating a bit when it was almost off of his body just because he heard Sonic again. When he was about to take his trousers off, he hesitated and looked at Sonic. "Could you-"

"Got it, no sweat!" Sonic cut him off before turning his back on him, looking away. He also covered his eyes as he heard hustling of wet clothes, followed by hustling of dry clothes.

"You can look now." Sonic knew it before he said it.

He turned back to him and smiled. Kensuke resumed his 'grinning as if he found the most awesome thing ever' demeanor.

"Okay so…"

Sonic looked at him "So…?"

Kensuke broadened his smile "What are you?"

Sonic looked to one side and back at him. "…I'm… a hedgehog?" He was pretty sure he had covered that already so he phrased it as a question this time.

Kensuke laughed "I… I know that much, I see you in front of me and you told me what you are but…" He was still talking like an excited child.

Sonic shook his head slightly "But what?"

Kensuke gestured at him. "Stuff… things like you, I mean…"

Sonic rose one eyebrow "Wha… 'Things' like me?"

Kensuke raised both his hands as if apologizing "Sorry, Sorry, I mean, you're not human, and… I-I know you said Hedgehog, but…" Then his eyes brightened as if he thought of something. "Where did you come from? Are you an alien?"

Sonic replayed the events of the last twenty four hours in his head. He remembered what he saw around this city and what the latest machine from Robotnik was supposed to do before he trashed it. "I think the correct term is… 'slider'…"

Kensuke laughed again and Sonic didn't think it was possible for his smile to become wider. "That's even more awesome! You're from a different UNIVERSE?!"

Sonic didn't understand why he emphasized the word 'universe' and, scratching the back of his head making two of his quills go slightly to the side, said "Yeah… guess I am…"

Kensuke seemed to become even more excited with his reply, appearing to bounce in the same spot "That is just AMAZING! How did you come here?! Where did you come from?!"

Sonic made a dismissive gesture at him. "Look, man. I'm tired, it's been a long day, I haven't slept or eaten in a long time…"

"Oh. OH RIGHT!" He got up quickly and started selecting and then picking various items from his bedroom. Sheets and pillows seemed like his greatest worry until he half climbed one of his shelves to pick up something rolled up in the top closet. Upon unrolling it, Sonic saw it was a mattress.

"Is this okay?" Kensuke sounded sheepish, not like someone offering a place to sleep to a stranger but like someone offering very little to someone very awesome.

And that stroked Sonic's ego somewhat. "Are you… sure about this Kensuke?" He scratched the back of his head again. "I mean I'm… practically a stranger to you…"

Kensuke shook his head. "Of course I'm sure! This is awesome! I'm offering a slider a place to stay!" He then mumbled something like 'I'm gonna sleep next to one' to himself, too whispery for Sonic to be sure and continued smiling at him with an excited expression.

Sonic fidget around sheepishly before agreeing and picking up some of the stuff Kensuke made available for him and then proceeded to make his own bed. He found it uncomfortable to do it all under Kensuke's excited gaze, but eventually it was done and Sonic just fell on his improvised bed, the weight of the day finally taking its heavy tool, making him already drowsy.

_I destroyed a big polygonal thing with a death ray after running like hell atop of water and on the surface of a purple giant robot. And then I almost drowned. Of course I'm too tired to even be hungry._

"Well good night…"

He thought he heard Kensuke chuckling some more before replying with 'good night' and he had the distinct impression Kensuke was watching him sleep, but couldn't open his eyes again to check, creepy though it sounded. Just trusting the instincts that were telling him Kensuke was a good kid, he drifted to deep sleep fairly quickly. He was THAT tired.

(SGE)

Kensuke barely slept at all. He kept checking the bed made at the ground by the side of his bed. Kept checking if he wasn't dreaming the blue hedgehog slider sleeping at his side, by his bed. He felt his constant smile would make his face collapse.

Then it was morning and Sonic fidgeted around a little before fully turning to him. Kensuke peered into his sleeping face. Kensuke could actually tell he was having a peaceful sleep.

_His face is just… expressive. It's a blue face with a skin toned muzzle with a black round nose and freakish huge eyes, but it's actually expressive and… he's now blinking and… Holy crap, he's awake!_

"Um… Hey… Good morning."

His face was hesitant, but Kensuke couldn't help but broaden his smile again. The sheer absurdity of a slider blue anthropomorphic hedgehog waking up and giving him a morning greeting making him want to laugh out loud. "Good… morning." He restrained himself not to laugh.

However, he couldn't restrain himself with what Sonic asked next. "Did you watch me sleep?"

Between spurts of laughter, Kensuke got words out. "I'm- I'm sorry Sonic, haha. It's just that, hehe, this situation is just absurd!"

Then Kensuke widened his eyes when he realized this absurdity would reach his father, then NERV, then Sonic would probably be locked up and poked around like a science experiment for the rest of his life.

Before he could contemplate on that and tell Sonic he should stay hidden in his room…

GROOOWWWLLL!

…Sonic's stomach growled, causing Sonic to blush and Kensuke to have another spurt of laughter.

"You got any food?" He asked blushing.

Kensuke stopped laughing to look at him again. _He BLUSHES too…_

"Yes of course. Any requests?"

"Chilidogs." The blue hedgehog's response came with a hopeful smile and without hesitation.

Kensuke blinked, but nodded and smiled. "Okay, then, I'll… see if we have those and see if we have anything close to that." He stood up to leave "Don't leave the bedroom, okay?"

He left the room, closing the door behind him. He rushed to the kitchen with a smile on his face.

_I didn't think this could get weirder than it is awesome! He likes Chilidogs…_

…

_Okay, if I'm not mistaken, dad is…_

As he dashed towards the kitchen, he noticed the house was deserted.

_Yes! He had to work early today! It REALLY pays well to have a dad that works at NERV! I can cut class today to take care of Sonic. Talk to him and feed him._

…

…_Okay… Feed him, let's see…_

He finally made it into the kitchen, quickly scanning the environment and his memory for everything that was there, for anything that resembled Hotdogs or Chilidogs.

(SGE)

Sonic blinked at the sound of the door closing. _Don't leave your bedroom? How come? _ But even as he thought that, he nodded anyway, even though Kensuke had already left.

Immediately after realizing his solitude, Sonic looked around his surroundings, taking in once again the geeky constructor builder model of the room he slept in.

_Kid reminded me of Tails. Probably why I trusted him so easily. _He padded the 'bed' made hastily on the ground for him.

He put his finger on his chin and looked pensive, closing one eye and looking up with the other_. _

_I wonder what that thing I destroyed was? And why was it fighting the giant purple and yellow robots? _

…_hmm…_

He got plenty of sleep so he couldn't just take a nap to get his mind off of how starving he was. Looking around the room, pondering on the latest events was all he could do…

GROOOWWWLLL!

…but such was doing little to ease his famishing and his edginess. A few more minutes passed with nothing to do but look around and then he smiled when he saw what a nice day was outside the window of the apartment.

The door opened with a quick click and as he swung it to get out…

BUMP!

…he went nose first right into Kensuke's chin.

"Ow!" They both said in unison.

Kensuke was the first to recover. "What are you doing? I told you to stay in my room!" He was holding a tray with hot dog bread, regular bread, ham and some kind of fish thing Sonic didn't recognized. There were also some condiment bottles.

Sonic wetted his lips "Sorry. I'm just really hungry and I hate waiting." He took the tray from Kensuke and started placing the ham and some of the condiments in the hot dog bread. It would be better with cheese, chili and an actual sausage but Sonic was so famished he just devoured the entire thing. In the end, there was no more hot dog bread or regular bread and only a few bits of ham. Every condiment bottle had been opened.

Kensuke had been alternating between having his eyes wide and an awed smile as Sonic wolfed down the tray he brought him, but that didn't really bother Sonic. Maybe he was too hungry or maybe he was already used to Kensuke admiring him.

"Ah… got any more? Maybe some sausages and chili to go with the ham?"

Kensuke seemed to take him in stride. "Sorry. No. Listen…" and then he seemed to fidget around a little "…you…"

Sonic focused on him. _Just GO ahead and ask kid._

"I know you said you're from another universe, but… Tell me more about yourself please?"

(SGE)

Sonic smiled and rubbed his tummy, as if fighting back what hunger remained. "Sonic is the name and speed is my game. I make a living hell the life of people who try to make the planet worse. Like that doctor Robotnik Eggman dude." He sneered at the name in the end. Kensuke just kept listening intently and admiring him.

That didn't faze Sonic, he just broadened his smile and waved his index finger in the air. "I make thunder and lightning look like one and the same." He then blinked, looking at the tip of his finger. "That reminds me!" He looked at Kensuke, placing his hands on Kensuke's shoulders. "The Chaos Emerald! Where is it?"

Kensuke blinked, having recoiled slightly from the sudden contact. "That big green jewel that was on the pool with you?"

"Yes!"

"…Um…" It then hit Kensuke that he was so overwhelmed with how awesome a creature was before him and how late and tired it was, he realized he left the green jewel behind. He actually left a jewel the size of his fist behind because of Sonic.

And Sonic realized it too. "Crap, it's still there?!"

Kensuke's eyes widened when the creature got to its feet quickly and swirled around in a motion that made him look like a blue blur.

Like THE blue blur.

"Wait!" Before the scream was out of Kensuke's mouth, he was gone. Out his window.

When Kensuke stood up to chase the phantom of his presence, the two, maybe three seconds it took for Kensuke to process he was gone, he was already back. His wet glove was gripping the ledge of the very same window he got out of in a speed faster than Kensuke's eyes could see. He revealed himself, heaving his body out of the window to get back in through it. When he did got back in, Kensuke saw his other hand held a green octagonal pointy green jewel.

"Phew, thank god it was still there. And thank god I still remember how to juice and loose inside water." He displayed the emerald he caught with pride.

Kensuke widened his eyes and went pass Sonic to look out his window. Indeed, the water of his pool had a common and easy to recognize trepidation, as if something had just stirred the water in it. Water was splashed outside of the pool in a direction opposite to his window.

He looked back at Sonic, really looked at him. It was unmistakable: he was still a bit wet.

Still wide eyed a feeling his face would crack from disbelief, he declared "You… ran down the wall of my building to the pool… caught the emerald under water and… used the momentum of the speed to get out of the water and back up here… to the third floor window…" His voice was almost shaking from suppressed excitement.

Sonic looked pensive for a moment before saying "Actually, I had to do a rolling spin on the surface of the water to get the emerald without touching the bottom tiles." He scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Those were pretty slippery and I didn't wanna risk being stuck there like last night."

Kensuke felt the excitement inside burst for a few moments, moments that Sonic widened his eyes a little, like he was seeing an unbelievable smile in his face. Finally Kensuke got it out "THAT IS SO FREAKING AWESOME! YOU ARE A SLIDER WHO CAN RUN UP AND DOWN WALLS! That means you can run atop the surface of the water too! YOU ARE THAT FAST! No wonder you can't swim! OH MY GOD!"

(SGE)

For the first time in a long while Sonic was at a loss with someone that was simply basking in how amazing he was, wiggling his arms around. Kensuke seemed to be holding himself back not to hug him, bouncing up and down the same spot like an excited child. His hands balled into wiggling fists. Sonic could do nothing but stand there and take the barrage of compliments.

_I'm I really that awesome? _He still wasn't smiling, regarding Kensuke warily.

"Where are you from?! How did you come here? Why are you here?"

"Wow…" He widened his eyes a little more before looking pensive.

"Okay, um…" he looked to the side briefly and looked back at Kensuke, "I was stomping the latest evil scheme of good old Eggman, same as always, right? But then there was this-"

"Wait, who's 'Eggman'?"

He wasn't at all phased by Kensuke cutting him off. "He's this old grumpy talking egg who wants to take over the world. He's not a problem really, he's a nobody." He felt his face finally relax into a smile.

"So, wait a second, you're a blue hedgehog that fights against a villain with world domination agendas?"

"Yeah." Sonic Nodded.

(SGE)

…and the simplicity with which he nodded made Kensuke think his face would break or something.

_Alright, so on top of being what he is, he fights a villain… I have a superhero living with me…_

Kensuke was then surprised at himself with how fast he decided he would just hide Sonic in his house.

He shook his head off of geeky thoughts for once. "Okay, okay, so… what are your powers?"

Sonic just smiled again. "I'm as strong as you have to be in order to be the –AHEM – fastest thing alive." It amused Kensuke how Sonic cut himself off to clear his throat and how he bowed his head with one hand upwards and one hand on his belly at the end of his sentence, as if saying 'oh yeah I'm awesome'.

"AND, of course, I am the fasted thing alive!"

Kensuke was still smiling at how he blew his own horn.

"How fast can you run?"

Sonic crossed his arms, pointing his right index finger upwards, "Faster than sound-"

"You can run faster than sound?!" Before Sonic realized what he was doing, Kensuke grabbed his shoulders.

Sonic widened his eyes and Kensuke felt him coiling. "S-sorry… But…" Kensuke regained his composure and looked at him skeptically. "Come on, really? Faster than sound?"

(SGE)

Sonic smiled a devilish smile at him. _Oh yeah… this will be fun. Hope he doesn't mind the mess in his room. I can just help him clean up after._

He made his spin dash. Standing on the same spot, he rolled and rolled, building up traction.

"WOW!" Was all Kensuke managed to say, or all Sonic managed to hear, before he heard the distinct sound of the sound barrier being shattered.

Were he running and not standing on the same place roll spinning, he wouldn't have heard Kensuke scream "STOP! You're gonna trash my room even more!"

Unlike how he started, he stopped abruptly, stomping both his feet and his hands on Kensuke's ground. A shock wave of dust and shattered air leaving him. When he looked about, a very shocked smiling Kensuke was looking down on him and the toys and magazines and whatnot were spread about. Sonic knew it was because he shattered air and the sound itself inside the teenager's room.

So he smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as he rose back up. "So… sorry… about the mess, I mean…"

Kensuke was still smiling, still amazed. "No sweat, don't worry, I can clean this up!" He then approached Sonic, maybe a little too much. "You're awesome."

_Gee, gotta teach this kid about personal space…_

"Can you do anything else?"

The question came before Sonic could make any comments. "Well I could… run indefinitely at my top speed as long as I was acquiring power rings. Here, I'm not so sure."

Kensuke blinked, showing some hesitation when he said 'power rings' but instead of asking about that he said. "Why is that?"

Sonic hesitated, thinking about how to answer. _This place is different…_

"Yeah, this… this place, probably this whole Universe is different." He looked out the window "Not only there are no power rings from what little I could see, but…" He looked down, thinking as hard as he could. "I don't know, something about the flow of juice is different here."

Now Kensuke actually made a confused face. "The… 'flow of the juice'?"

Sonic looked him in the eye. "Chaos energy. You know, the thing I can manipulate. Go even faster using it…" He waved his hand around thin air before pointing at the Chaos Emerald by his side "The energy THIS has an unlimited amount of… and here's another thing."

He picked up the Chaos Emerald and tried absorbing it as he normally would, in order to keep it o his person, in order to use it when the time to use it came. The only thing that happened was Kensuke looking at him more confused. "See? Nothing."

"Um… what?"

"Nothing. I can't put it away… not without a back pack… this happened last night too. During the whole time I was fighting that floating pyramid thingy of death, I had to hold the emerald in my hand. Wasn't troublesome or anything like that, just…"

Now Sonic noticed Kensuke was looking at him wide eyed again. "What did you say?"

Sonic blinked. "Um, it wasn't troublesome or anything like that."

"No, before that."

Sonic blinked again. "During the whole time I was fighting that floating pyramid thingy of death, I had to hold-"

"HOLY CRAP YOU FOUGHT THE ANGEL?! YOU HELPED SHINJI AND REI FIGHT THE ANGEL?!"

Sonic was astonished at Kensuke's sudden outburst, he widened his eyes but since he was already used to the geeky kid giving him praise, he returned his face to normal and asked, raising an eyebrow, "Angel? You call that an Angel?"

"Yeah, yeah, the media didn't give a convincing explanation and NERV says it's classified information but that is what we call it. Holy crap, you fought the Angel with your speed! And you use some sort of alien energy! You're like the Flash and a Jedi combined! Holy crap!"

He spewed out all that at Sonic all at once and Sonic was once again silenced at the sudden barrage of praise from the bespectacled otaku, even using terms he didn't know. _Who the hell are 'Flash' and 'Jedi'?_

This time he was smiling back at the wide eyed and widely smirking Kensuke, but still felt awkward. _Gee, kid, calm down… I know I'm awesome but damn…_

(SGE)

And then Kensuke's face suddenly became downcast "Oh crap…"

Sonic blinked. "Huh?"

"Listen Sonic… I… think it's best if you stay hidden… You could stay with me if you want, I'd hide you, no problem." Kensuke now sounded determined.

Sonic blinked again, but before Sonic could comment on that, Kensuke spoke again and as he spoke his face and his tone became more serious and determined. "Listen, um… this universe… well sometimes people do stupid things and… they wouldn't… um… accept you as well as I have." Sonic was listening intent and serious. "In fact I think they'd be outright creeped out by you, they… they would try to catch you and do experiments on you or something."

Now Sonic smiled and scratched the under part his nose with his right index finger. "Hah. I'm used to it. Robotnik does that all the time."

"Um… yeah I'm sure you are an invincible hero and would escape any clutches but, well… I guess you need to let people in here… warm up to you. You know?"

Sonic creased his brown slightly in confusion. "How?"

Kensuke smiled. "You could do hero work!" He then became more excited as he explained. "You know, help people! Like when you helped defeating the Angel! But you do it while hiding here! You know, like protecting your secret identity!" His excitement went down just a little. "Only in this case it's your… integrity. Because if they catch they will wanna do science experiments on you…"

Kensuke noticed Sonic had a sly smile and a risen eyebrow. "Like those 'Flash' and 'Jedi' guys?"

"Um… basically, yeah."

Sonic then laughed. "You are a nerdy Otaku Kensuke, hahaha." He then cast his eyes down slightly. "But I see your point. I don't… I mean this is a different UNIVERSE. An entire universe of… things I don't know…" He looked back at Kensuke. "I guess I could stay at your place… And whenever I'm out I'll just move so fast and so secretively I'll be invisible." He finished that sentence giving Kensuke his left thumb up.

Kensuke felt an amazing amount of relief and smiled as broadly as when he first heard Sonic speak. "Good! Awesome! I can give you everything you need. I'll get you a cell phone and a backpack to keep it in…" he eyed the green jewel, still in Sonic's hand "…and your emerald."

"Chaos Emerald."

As he spoke, he got up and started prepping to leave. "Right, right. That'll be enough for you to get around. I'm getting you some chilidogs too, would you like that?"

As if to answer Kensuke's question, Sonic's stomach made another sound…

GROOOWWWLLL!

…and his skin toned muzzle got another shade of red.

Kensuke laughed. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. I'll be right back!"

(SGE)

If the hour Sonic had to just lay on his back with hands crossed behind his head were not enough of a nuisance (due more to boredom than to hunger, but he still devoured the two chilidogs Kensuke brought) he saw the backpack Kensuke bought him had to get some adjustments due to the spikes on his back. Kensuke used some of his spikes (minor ones) and some strong cloth and bandages to reinforce the front of the back pack, which would meet Sonic's spiky back. And Kensuke only managed to find Hotdogs on sale (although Sonic wolfed them down like a hungry dog, which prompted Kensuke to widen his eyes). Also Kensuke brought him a reddish brown scarf.

A scarf.

"Why do you want me to wear this? Only the backpack is enough to carry the cell phone and the emerald…"

Kensuke shrugged and smiled "I thought it would look cool on you…"

Sonic made a face then thought about it. _Look cool, huh? Well if there's one thing this kid knows it's how cool I am._

He then wrapped the scarf around his neck and placed the bandaged reinforced backpack on, after putting the Chaos Emerald and his new phone in it.

Kensuke looked at him hard, as if he knew there was one thing missing. "Try wrapping these in your wrists and ankles." He said as he handed him over more of the bandages he used on the back pack.

Sonic rose one eyebrow, thinking the idea of bandages atop of gloves and shoes was a bit weird but shrugged and did it anyway.

Kensuke smiled at the end result. "You look awesome! The bandages on the backpack and the bandages on your arms and legs go really well together. And the scarf completes the whole image." Then Kensuke opened the door of his closet, displaying an adult size mirror, gesturing Sonic at it.

Sonic looked at his own reflection. He smiled a surprised smile when he realized the reddish brown scarf actually looked awesome on him. And like Kensuke said, his image was rather complemented than diminished by the bandages shared by his limbs and backpack.

Thoughts of gratitude flooded the young hedgehog as he looked at the Otaku and then looked around the military gadgets, toys and DVDs that filled his vision as he looked around the room.

"Well, I guess… this here is gonna be my other worldly crib, huh Ken?"

Kensuke smiled so hard Sonic thought he would cry.

(SGE)

However, just five minutes later, Kensuke was now really worried. Sonic promised he would be back by nightfall, promised he wouldn't be seen and promised he would pick up the phone if Kensuke called. Kensuke looked at his room watch again.

_I gotta calm down. I don't think he will just leave. And I can't just call him five minutes after he left._

He looked at the watch again. _I can probably catch the last class of school if I hurry… _Then he smiled a broad smile out the window._ Bah, no. Today and yesterday were too AWESOME for school. Angel defeated and now I have a superhero slider living with me! _

So he just kind of let the time pass and as the day went on, even between menial tasks like reading some old manga or scholl material or watching TV, Kensuke found himself simply waiting for Sonic to return.

BEEEP!

Which was probably why he was startled by the sound of his intercom beeping, later in the day. He walked with curiosity towards the intercom and picked up the interphone. "Hello?"

"Yo, Ken! It's me and Shinji!" Came Toji's voice distorted by the com.

"Oh. Um, hi?" Kensuke wasn't sure why he said that as a question.

"Class rep bugged us to bring you today's assignments since you didn't show and find out why you didn't show."

Kensuke widened his eyes slightly, "…Oh… um… okay. Come on up."

_Crap, crap, crap what am I gonna tell them?_

Kensuke panicked slightly, not being used to having to come up with excuses to cut school.

_At least Sonic is out of the house. I guess I can tell them I just didn't… feel like it today, woke up feeling slightly bad…_

Not totally convinced that would work, he hesitantly walked towards his door and opened it, waiting for his two friends to walk out of the elevator.

Shinji came out of the elevator first, finishing a comment about his father that Kensuke didn't quite catch.

He did hear Toji saying "I'm… sorry, man."

Shinji smiled, "Don't be. I've dealt with it. I've accepted pain as part of life and my dad is a douche. I'm done seeking his approval," then turned his full attention to Kensuke. "Hey Kensuke, brought you the stuff from school," he said with finality, gesturing as to deliver Kensuke some papers.

"Yeah, thanks," said Kensuke as he took them.

"Why weren't you in school today, man? You feeling off or something?" Toji's voice came to him rather suddenly.

Kensuke scratched his nose "I, um… Yeah I felt a bit bad in the morning and I… I just didn't feel like going too, you know?"

Toji blinked, then frowned, "Since when you, Kensuke Aida, has the 'I don't wanna go to school today' vibe? And since when do you obey it?" Before Kensuke could answer, Toji continued, pointing a finger at himself, "Hell, if I get that vibe I usually don't have the guts to obey it…"

Kensuke was quick to think about something, "Well, you have a dad and a little sister that would chew you out for cutting class. My dad is gonna be all day at work and I… really felt a little under the weather today," he finished his argument shrugging.

Shinji smiled, "Let's let him rest Toji. We'll see you tomorrow, Kensuke."

As his friends turned to leave it then hit Kensuke: the date for Guardians and teachers to meet.

"Hey Shinji," his calling caused the boy to turn to face him again, "Is Misato really going to school this Friday?"

"…Um…" Shinji hesitated, as if knowing what he meant, "Well it IS the 'Parents and Teachers' meeting, so I guess so, yeah."

Toji interjected with a smile "I know Ken! I can't wait to see her there either!"

Kensuke smiled a sly grin "Hell yeah, I'm totally bringing my camera!"

Toji cracked a huge smile and Shinji, instead of looking disheartened or angry, for once he looked away smiling and blushing slightly.

"Well we'll see you tomorrow Ken!" Toji waved and turned around, walking away. Shinji waved goodbye, not as heartily as Toji but followed him out.

Kensuke breathed a sigh of relief before putting his school assignments of the day away and then there was a breath of air and a blur of motion followed by a very distinct sound. Kensuke looked at the final source of it all.

Sonic was back.

Kensuke smiled. "Welcome home."

Soni smiled back "I'm home. I think I can get used to this."

Kensuke showed curiosity. "Why? How was your day?"

Sonic looked upwards, hand on chin. "Well…"

(SGE)

Sonic felt relieved to be out of Kensuke's apartment and looking to the great fortress city of Tokyo-03. Technological fortresses didn't sit well with him but he had to admit this place, this city with buildings protected by metal plates that could go underground (Sonic's survey let him conclude that the buildings he couldn't see the night of his battle against the Angel were underground) had a positive vibe to it. A vibe of hope and of survival.

"Last bastion of mankind, huh?" He smiled as he remembered seeing the mottle of Tokyo-03 somewhere.

He straightened his scarf in and picked up the Chaos Emerald, raising it to the sky. Indeed, the flow of Chaos Energy was different in this Universe. It made him more resilient and with greater acceleration capabilities but at the same time it limited him somewhat. As he ran faster than eyes or city cameras could see, he figured out that much: on one hand he wouldn't need his power rings, on the other hand his speed, strength and even durability (how many hits could he take before croaking) would depend solely on his resilience and how much energy he could use from the Chaos Emerald before it once again needed time to recharge.

"The Chaos Emerald…" He finally got his risen hand back down. "What is up with you in here too, huh?" He addressed the emerald, "Isn't your energy supposed to be infinite?"

But it was infinite. All the emerald needed to be fully charged again, to be used by him again, was time. By the morning after the battle it was full of power again. And since Sonic could actually feel the amount of energy it still had, or hadn't, he honestly thought he could take on another Angel. He then smiled at the prospect of all seven emeralds tuned in and working as one. In this Universe he could probably maintain his 'Super' form for a great amount of time without even worrying about collecting rings.

And then he frowned and downcast his eyes. "The other six Emeralds are probably back home…" The implications of that statement, what it entailed, what had happened to him, it all finally crashed down on Sonic.

"Am I… stranded here?" He almost cried when the realization hit him, but then, as always, he smiled a confident smile and looked forward, back the direction of Kensuke's house. "Nah, I'm sure I can find a way back. Even if the bloated egg is the only one who can give it to me. Or maybe one of my friends is a genius enough to build a machine like that and come here so he can come get me," he laughed and pointed to the sky, looking in no particular direction "I'm looking at you Tails! Haha!"

The silence and the sense of solitude cut Sonic's heart like a blade. He wiped something from his eye before laughing "Get it together man…" and then said to nobody in particular "Guess I should head back."

_I am here. _He smiled to himself as he ran back.

(SGE)

**Author's note: As usual, for the disclaimer, see the first five chapters. Oh, and the Flash belongs to DC and Jedi belongs to George Lucas or Disney or whatever. And I don't own Evangelion or Sonic. Big thanks goes once again to GamerJay for beta reading. Told you guys it was gonna be a fast update didn't I? Hehe.**

**Did you guys like how I made 'modern games' Sonic more like 'Sonic Boom' Sonic? Just the scarf and the bandages and the back pack for stuff in itself can make him cool, but to put allusions to more Sonic stuff is great isn't it?**

**Before you panic / unfave / unwatch; NO, this is not going to always alternate whole chapter Sonic or Sonic crew / whole chapter Eva crew. I will mix points of view eventually. I'm just easing the characters in carefully and once that's done I will show more than two points of view per chapter. Chapters will probably become bigger and take longer to write too…**

**See you guys next time. **

**Oh, and because I can be sick and twisted if I want to:**

_**Omake:**_

Kensuke seemed to almost lose his focus on taking off his wet shirt, hesitating a bit when it was almost out of his body. Clinging to his body because of wetness, making Sonic take note of his toned adolescent body. When he was about to take his trousers off, he hesitated and looked at Sonic. "Could you-"

"Nope, sorry. I'm gonna watch!" Sonic cut him off before blushing and keeping his eyes focused on him and his body

"Um…" Kensuke was blushing a beautiful crimson that made Sonic start fidgeting around.

And the author, Real Remainder, knew because of the rating of this fan fiction as of yet, he couldn't write more than this.


	7. The human creation and the blue hedgehog

**Chapter 7: **_**The human creation and the blue hedgehog**_

"I think you're going about this the wrong way, Misato-san."

Misato was actually shaken out of the usual high she gets when she downs the first beer of the day. She didn't even utter the usual 'this is as good as it gets' phrase, instead uttering a questioning sound. "Huh?"

Shinji looked uncharacteristically serious. "This. What you do… every morning…"

Misato smiled knowingly. "I'll have you know that the usual breakfast for the Japanese is Rice, Misoshiro and Sake."

Shinji frowned "You drink beer, not sake." And then addressed her seriously again. "Well, it's not the drinking per se. I… I think…" he fidgeted around some more before speaking with some difficulty. "When I say I think you're going about this the wrong way, I mean I think you are drinking to get away from the pain."

Misato blinked, appearing genuinely surprised. "Um. Actually, Shinji-kun, I don't get drunk every day. I'll… admit I get REALLY drunk sometimes but I'm not trying to make anything in here numb." She gestured to her chest area as she said that, trying her best not to sound like she was lying.

"I deal with… stuff. I don't run away from it," she then widened her eyes at him "Oh dear!" and gestured at him "I didn't mean anything against you with that!"

Shinji waved her off. "It's okay Misato. I DID run away… and I'm glad you aren't running away."

Misato eyed him. _That's not like you, Shinji-kun…_

"W-what?"

Misato must have been staring. "That's not like you, Shinji-kun. Where is all this introspection coming from all of a sudden?"

Shinji took another bite off his toast. "I recently realized pain is… an unavoidable part of life."

Misato stared at him. "You… couldn't figure that out before?"

Shinji looked from his toast back to her, shrugging. "No one ever told me. I was…" He looked down again. "I was told to be polite. To avoid confrontation. Not being raised by my dad and by a stranger-"

He briefly widened his eyes, cutting himself off.

"AH, I mean, by my teacher…" His face went back to normal and then he looked to the side, an expression of longing in his face. "Before I knew it I was just repressing everything that happened to me. I was apologizing just to avoid confrontation. I was just doing what I was told the whole time."

Misato stared at him. The silence that befell after his talk didn't become awkward, but she still felt stifled by the atmosphere. She wished she could say or do something for him.

However it was Shinji that spoke again. "Now that I'm not… stuck like that anymore, I think I can… understand, and even do things a little better."

Misato was still just staring at him.

"For example, now that I know you're not running away from anything I… realize you're just a slob…"

Misato's face went from serious to eye twitching frown instantaneously. "Say what?"

"Well, you are. Today was your turn to cook, you didn't clean yesterday and you drink far too much…" Shinji then smiled at her. "I can totally see why you're still single even though you look like that."

Misato appeared surprised again, slightly recoiling her face from him.

And then, realizing what he had said, Shinji blushed a bright crimson while widening his eyes. "A-ah, I mean, I... I don't… I didn't- I just…!"

Now it was Misato's turn to smile "So you DO check me out. I was starting to worry whether or not you're a healthy teenage boy."

Shinji blushed harder and looked to the side, before fidgeting around some more and stuttering unsaid words.

Misato decided to change the subject herself to avoid giving the boy a heart attack. "Where did this whole thing come from anyway?"

Shinji looked at her again, his blush lessening somewhat. "What thing?"

"The whole philosophical 'life is pain' declarations. Did you just realize nobody ever told you that you have to deal with crap if you're alive?"

Shinji looked pensive again. "Not… really… I even wrote an essay once about how it wouldn't matter if I died because of it…"

Now Misato widened her eyes in shock. Then her brow creased with slight sorrow "…Shinji-kun…"

"It's okay Misato…" He said as he studied carefully the reaction he caused in her with those words, immediately thinking of how simply repressing also made people feel bad for him.

_And how I would do it on purpose too. Just to get attention. Maybe even the first time I ran away was because of it… _

And then he continued speaking. "I'm not doing… anything just to make you feel sorry for me. And I'm not running away anymore either."

She smiled and nodded at him. "Good for you, Shinji-kun. But…" She looked serious again, in his eyes "you still didn't answer my question."

Shinji blinked. "What question?"

"Where is this coming from? Did you have a life epiphany or something?"

As if to mock Misato, the door bell rang at that exact moment. So instead of answering her, Shinji said "Ah, that must be Toji and Kensuke."

Misato smiled again despite her question went unanswered. _It's nice he's becoming more social. And finding out how to deal with the crap life throws at him. At everyone._

Her thoughts were cut by the two teens forcing their way past Shinji to get in a better spot to ogle her. "Heeyaaaa, Misato-saaan!" Toji and Kensuke said in unison.

Shinji didn't frown disapprovingly like a whiny little bitch (judging from how he usually reacted to this part of her character), he just smiled at his friends and then he smiled at her. "This is what you get for dressing like that."

Misato embraced her sides, just below her breasts, making them more prominent, and then asked in a teasing tone. "Like what?"

Shinji blushed but didn't look away nor lose his smile, as if knowing she was just teasing. "We're going."

Misato loosened her posture and smiled at them. "Have a nice day!"

Just before Shinji closed the door behind him, he said louder than normal "Don't come to the parents and teachers meeting today looking like that!"

Misato's smile grew larger as the door made a closing sound.

(SGE)

"AAAWW! I can't believe you get to live with her, Shin-man! I wish I could be her boyfriend!"

Shinji didn't lose his smile as he and his two buddies walked down the street, towards the school. "Well, you'd have a lot of work cut out for you, Toji. She may be pretty but-"

"PRETTY?!" Kensuke cut in, overly excited. "More like unbelievably hot!"

Toji eyed him. "Ya know, Ken. You seem excessively happy today…"

Kensuke looked at him, a beaming smile on his face. "I am happy. VERY happy. You gotta a problem with that?"

"You have a good reason?"

"My life is just super-duper awesome right now!" He looked to the sides, as if making sure no one but the three of them were listening. "I've got a secret so cool that I don't even care anymore that I'm not an Eva pilot like you, man! I mean this… it is HUGE! Maybe as huge as the Evas themselves!"

Toji shot one eyebrow up. "Maybe you're just nuts."

Kensuke looked at him, still glowing with his smile. "That's just it. I'm not. I thought I was. I mean, when he talked…" He trailed off, mumbling something like 'for the first time' but then cut off any chance of response from the other two teens. "I mean, it IS too bad it is a secret, I can't tell you and all, but DAMN! It's just too damn awesome and I am just SO happy!"

Shinji inquired "Is this about the class you cut a few days ago?"

Kensuke winked at him, "It has to do with that but if I could give you details, it wouldn't be a secret would it?"

The other two teens were looking at Kensuke, then looked at each other, and then they both shrugged at the same time, as if dismissing the other boy's rambling as madness.

A rambling madness that didn't stop even when the boy was videotaping Misato arriving at their school, dressed like a fashion model and curbing her car into parking. Under judgmental jealous eyes from the girls no less.

(SGE)

Robotnik wasn't focused on his work like this in a very long time. It was as if he was doing most of the stuff he usually did for the first time. Ever.

_This proves that before I was just going through the motions as if they meant nothing. Truly coming to another universe was the best thing that I ever did._

He had forgotten how much fun it was to work with computers and program A.I.s. Hacking into the project laid out before him was as much fun as it was hacking into the U.N databases. It was also exhilarating to learn more about NERV and its inner workings. Though he hadn't met anyone from the staff other than the commander, Misato and Ritsuko, preferring to work in solitude with his personal machines and whatever else could be offered to him, he found fascinating the general structure of the base and the Geofront.

_I suppose that's to be expected, considering that the Geofront and Lilith are suppose to… ascend at the end of this new Genesis…_

He smiled his same smirk not only at what he had planned, but also because he was having so much fun with this project. Maybe also because of what claiming control of this current project meant.

_With Jet Alone, I can take the first step with taking the resources and the money I will need. AND I will gain Commander Ikari's trust… well maybe not his trust but I will definitely gain some leeway with him. If I can talk to his masters after that…_

Robotnik smiled, flashing his teeth at nothing. As his work reached another breakthrough, he continued his inner monologue.

_Ah, there you are. Finally complete. White rabbit protocol. Differential power lineage algorithm. Sabotage program. You disappoint me, my lovely Jet Alone. Nobody will be able to tell you were sabotaged my poor little robot. AND it was fairly easy to find it and rewrite it with the right access…_

…_Let's see…_

_Aha! Here you go my little Jet Alone. Now, not only will you be… 'overheating', you will also be producing and deploying LOTS of Egg-bots…_

"OOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" The wicked grin he was showing during his entire time of work grew wider before breaking itself into laughter. He then composed himself and picked up the phone on the side of his desk.

After he dialed a number of only two digits, it rang twice before an ominous voice answered. "Hello?"

"Your precious Doctor Akagi and you German lapdog and your U.N. spy don't have to worry about anything anymore. Jet Alone will work for a few minutes, deploy some exceptional machinery of my design and then it will be shut down for good." Robotnik's voice was strangely monotone as he said all that.

"You actually pulled off a sabotage program and managed to change the construction properties of a project with that magnitude from your office?" It wasn't really a question, though it was enunciated as one.

Robotnik smiled. "I told my capacities are great. I am the greatest scientific genius of the world!"

The voice on the other line maintained its ominous monotone. "And if you fail and Jet Alone continues on?"

Robotnik flashed his teeth. "Then kill me."

There was a moment of silence. "As you wish."

"One more thing commander Ikari."

"…"

"I realize damage to Unit 01 was extensive in the last battle. So, when the time comes, would you be so kind as to deny the deployment of Unit 01? I'm curious as to what the lovely captain Katsuragi will do then, and I want to salvage as much as I can of the equipment Jet Alone will be deploying."

"…that might not be good for our public image."

_If I get as many bots from Jet Alone as possible, I can salvage the equipment I had when I got here. If I can salvage the equipment I had when I arrived here, I will be able to do even more for you, commander, further increasing my agenda. _

Before the silence stretched for too long as he thought that, Robotnik answered"You own a paramilitary organization bent on destroying monsters. You are ALLOWED to not use your tech if it is damaged. Besides, who will the common rabble turn to if not you? To the stupid robot that almost had a nuclear meltdown and deployed hundreds of my bots for no reason?"

"…"

"…well? …Commander?"

"Who are you?"

Robotnik hesitated for a moment "Hm… this line is really safe, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, commander… I'm from a different universe…"

Robotnik smiled a knowing smile that he could have sworn the Commander could see from the other side of the line. "I see."

CLICK.

Robotnik blinked. _He… He believed me? Oh dear… If he did, then… Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. Once his sacred work is complete, I can just take it for myself. One way or the other._

(SGE)

In the tidy neatness of her office, where countless equations were scrambled about in the main board and her personal notes and several cats of porcelain decorated the neat environment, Doctor Ritsuko Akagi focused on one particular section of her desk. One that had construction and programming plans for a giant mechanical robot different of the Eva Units she was so used to.

The algorithm she had written for it was just about ready, as it had been for a while now and all she would have to do is use one of the safe hacking connections provided by the MAGI computer to insert it and set the right path of execution so it would work perfectly. The core of Jet Alone would overheat and then deactivate.

Her focus, the focus of a genius that revolutionized the world, was one that could make her startle greatly if suddenly broken. That is why she jumped when her phone rang.

"I told everybody I'm working!" She muttered before picking up the receiver. "I specifically said no interruptions! Who is this?"

"Doctor."

Ritsuko froze. There was a moment of silence before she stuttered "C-Commander. I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting-" She cut herself off "Sir, the project you ordered me to push forward is ready, I just-"

"That won't be necessary anymore, Doctor." Now the commander cut her off, making her startle even more evident. Gendo dismissing one of her projects was a rare occurrence.

So she blinked. "Commander?"

"I want you to be ready with a counter measure for another project."

"What project? Whose?"

"Doctor Robotnik argued he could implement a better project to deal with… our competition. And it appears he did."

Ritsuko blinked again. Then she frowned, though she wouldn't if she was face to face with him. "I'm the head engineer and of scientific development of NERV, sir. Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"Ivo Robotnik is a new variable of which we know nothing about. And he knows a lot about us. He may even know more than he is letting on. Think of me using his work instead of yours as scanning him for what he is trying to accomplish. And as contingency for whatever else he may bring about."

Ritsuko narrowed her eyes, knowing he couldn't see her. "Whatever 'else', sir?"

"He is probably not the last new piece we will see in this board doctor. Be ready to doubt and to believe everything he says. Be ready for other variables to recognize him. That will be your relation to him."

Ritsuko rolled her eyes. The very thought of the disturbing round shaped wicked man, his huge moustache twisting upwards with his evil smile, making her skin crawl. "So he really is coming to work with NERV's science division?"

"Yes. He will also not leave the base, being considered a classified asset. Nobody can get wind of him and I already ordered section 2 to keep close watch on him. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." Ritsuko sighed away from the receiver so her boss wouldn't hear her.

"Is there anything else?"

"Repairs for Unit 01 are going smoothly. The particle beam made clean cuts and the limbs were completely salvaged. It will probably be ready for deployment with Jet Alone-"

Gendo cut her off again. "That won't be necessary. Ivo's plan includes a contingency on that too. Anything else?"

However, this time Ritsuko was unfazed "After today's sync test with Unit 01, I disclosed some information about second impact to the third child like you told me to."

"Very good. One more thing doctor."

"Hm?"

"Leave your door unlocked tonight, shower, and use the outfit I bought you."

Ritsuko froze, blushing lightly. After the receiver clicked, signaling he hung up, she frowned. "Get Robotnik to dress skimpy for you…"

(SGE)

The next day, Ritsuko was sore and the chair she was sitting in wasn't helping her. The huge round table she was at was the only one with metallic chairs instead of cushioned ones and was the only one with only two occupants: herself and Misato.

The presenter introduced himself as Tokita, introduced his project and opened the debate for questions. After a somewhat embarrassing back talk caused by her own volley of questions, in which even Misato warned her she was just embarrassing herself, Ritsuko sat back down and everybody at the conference retreated themselves to prepare for the actual demonstration of Jet Alone. Of course she and her companion were limited to the dressing area. Nothing but a bunch of lockers and two row benches.

THUD! It was probably that set of factors that made her jump when Misato kicked one of the lower lockers. Repeatedly while she spoke.

THUD! "That son-" THUD! "of a bitch!" THUD! "I'm gonna KILL him!" THUD! "He thinks-" THUD! "he can bring us here-" THUD! "just to mock us?!" THUD!

"Calm down, captain!"

Misato turned a frown that was almost a glare to the doctor.

"He's just a buffoon looking for praise and adoration." She was burning the Jet Alone presentation folder with her lighter, as if in an act of revenge. "He's not the kind of man that deserves our attention."

"But how could they know about the AT field?"

"I have only one idea on how something so secret could be leaked…"

Misato fully turned towards her.

Ritsuko tossed the burnt folder into the trash can. "Robotnik."

Misato turned her full attention to her. "Keep talking."

"He knows properties of the Angels. He looks to be in his late forties, early fifties. Who knows what kind of work he was doing before revealing himself to NERV."

Misato had nothing to say to that. After sharing a moment of tension with the captain, Ritsuko continued "We should go. Just get this over with already."

(SGE)

The trek to the demonstration bunker was a silent one. The facility was comfortable and as huge as headquarters, just outside the barren wasteland that held a container huge enough to house an Evangelion. Misato felt an ominous trepidation as the container opened itself, revealing a robot different in shape than the Evangelion, but still humanoid. It had a small torso, long legs, and shapely more aerodynamic than usual, it's head being flat, almost at the same height as the shoulders.

She and Ritsuko were refusing to participate in the observing along the other officials, standing just at the wall beside the main window.

They narrated the usual techno babble that meant the robot was becoming active, having almost becoming startled when Nuclear Reactor like poles came out of the thing's back. She felt nothing when the Robot finally walked, only making a snide remark when it did. It was only when she picked up something very distinct from one of the technicians that she became alarmed.

"Cooling down systems are not responding!"

"Open the liberation valve!"

"Impossible, the systems are not responding!"

The stomping from Jet Alone's walking became closer and closer. Misato widened her eyes.

"Shut the entire system down!"

A voice echoed throughout the room "Abortion code sent!" Jet Alone kept walking forward. "No good! Systems are not responding to that either!"

One more step and it would have stomped the observation bunker. Before it stepped on the bunker though, it stopped, bent slightly forward and an indentation on its chest opened, revealing several round holes, which looked like missile pods, but were strangely empty.

Tokita yelled again. "NO! Who activated the contribution from our most recent source?!"

One of the technicians turned to him "No one sir! It's just acting on its own volition!"

Tokita widened his eyes "Oh no!" He gestured the crowd in front of him. "Everyone, RUN! Get to this facility's Shelters! Every non essential personnel to shut it off must leave IMEDIATELLY!"

Misato knew that thing was activating some sort of weapon without anyone telling it to. She reached her own phone and hit one of her speed dial buttons. It rang only once.

"Hello?"

"Hyuga, is that you?"

"Yes, captain."

"Get Shinji-kun to base! Tell the commander we need to scramble Unit 01!"

"That's um, that's refuted, captain. Commander Ikari has grounded Unit 01!"

"WHAT?!"

"Um, his orders were clear. Unit 01 is not to be involved with Jet Alone. Damage still evident and fear of public relations I suppose…"

"That's not gonna be any good if the damn thing melts down and blows everything up!" Misato yelled at her phone.

As Hyuga sounded sheepish on the other side of the line, Tokita was warning it all off behind her. "Everything is under control and the personnel who won't evacuate will manage to shut it down!"

Misato ignored him. "Hyuga, we need to belay that order somehow!

"I'm… sorry, captain. It was an order from the commander…"

"I know that, but we need Unit 01!"

Misato took the receiver off her face, gripped it tightly in front of her narrowing her eyes at it and grinded her own teeth. _How is this possible?!_

She then spoke to it again "Call him! Explain the situation! If that thing is not stopped…!"

"Will do captain!"

CLICK!

When she looked at the enormous monstrosity again, standing dangerously close to the bunker she was in, the holes it had opened in its chest started deploying something.

"Are those Missiles?!"

Tokita addressed her again. "No, those are autonomous general purpose bots."

This time Misato didn't ignore him "Maintenance bots?"

"Yes, we recently received extra funding and some new improvement designs from a new source."

Misato thought she saw Ritsuko flinching. She wouldn't ask her any questions though, for her phone rang back. _Please, give me good news, Hyuga…_

(SGE)

"I'm totally sure I would deal with that too Shin-man. Anything would be worth being Misato's boyfriend! I mean did you even see how awesome she looked in the school yesterday?"

Shinji sighed and gave up trying to explain Toji how much of a slob Misato actually was. He smiled in spite of himself. "I guess you can say that because you don't live with her."

"Oh stop complaining already," the voice from the other teen cut in.

He looked at Kensuke. "Huh?"

"She actually shows you that side of her, Shinji. Something she shows no one else. That means she thinks of you as family."

Shinji blinked. Then he smile. "I suppose that's true."

Their lunch was then cut short by the easily recognizable blaring of alarms that meant the civilian population had to get to the public shelters. After it died out, Shinji picked out his phone and kept staring at it, waiting for it to ring.

When it didn't, he blinked, asking to no one in particular "Why am I not being called in?"

Toji shrugged as he stood up "Maybe it's not an Angel?"

Kensuke stood up, only turning away from them. "You guys go on ahead, I have to make a phone call before heading to the shelters."

(SGE)

For the first time since taking this job, Misato was frustrated and disappointed. She would get annoyed by mountains of paper work like any normal human being but frustrated and disappointed? Those were firsts.

_I can't believe the commander kept Unit 01 at bay, even with…_

She cut her negative thoughts off; she had a job to do. For, though Commander Ikari didn't allow deployment of Unit 01, he did allow usage of other resources NERV had at its disposal. Right now Misato was standing in the deployment chamber of a carrier plane, with a direct com link to Tokita.

She was wearing a custom reinforced anti- radiation suit owned exclusively by NERV. It was supposed to be able to sustain the radiation and the heat in the core of the Robot, where she was supposed to go and deactivate it so the whole thing wouldn't melt down. She had been complemented with directional parachutes, the ones with ropes on both side to control the fall, and magnetic climbing gear, since she wouldn't have support from Unit 01, she was going to have to land on the thing and use the magnet imbued grappling hook to climb the surface of it while it moved.

It was difficult but she managed to make Tokita tell her the deactivation code. She had support of the NERV carrier plane to do it, but still, this would be a thousand times easier with Shinji stopping the damn thing from moving. Not to mention, the so called maintenance bots were a variable she didn't know. At least Ritsuko and the other representatives were evacuated, they were safely hidden in the bunker's Shelter. If she failed in containing the robot, only she would die.

She could not fail in stopping the melt down though.

Her negative thoughts stopped when she saw Jet Alone again. _I can't bring myself to think about this like that. If that thing melts down, the blast radius will reach Tokyo 03 and beyond. _

She tested her com link. "I'm about to dive in. Do you read me, Tokita?"

"I read you captain." He no longer used a pompous tone. Of course, it could be the static of the com link.

"Is Ritsuko with you?"

"I'm here Misato." Answered a feminine solemn voice.

The carrier plane door opened, blowing wind out, making her hold herself to one of the cargo cranes. The open sky was laid out before her and at the very centre of the landscape, the out of control monstrosity standing still aimlessly. Several pieces of round shiny metal flying around it, apparently without any pattern, the bunker she was in a short while ago, right before it.

_It doesn't matter how hard it is, it has to be done!_

And then she lunged.

The open sky became bigger and bigger until it enveloped her entirely. As the carrier plane became smaller, Jet alone became bigger. Once the carrier plane became a small dot and Jet Alone seemed more enormous than ever (she saw it only from the bunker), she opened her directional parachute.

After the initial jolting caused by the decrease in speed of her falling, it became easy to control her descent, pulling her left and right control cords, aiming herself to the top of Jet Alone. Gaining and loosing speed as the parachute went downwards and upwards. Considering how much speed was gained, she would be to quick to lay herself anywhere else other than the flat head.

She had one shot at this.

THUMP!

_Bull's-eye!_

Though she managed to hit her target, her protected feet made a thumping sound to the surface of the Robotic head, not stopping in the place, as it was intended, instead simply slipping the smooth armored surface, finally making her land on her bottom. To make matters worse, the now useless parachute behind her was throwing her off balance, even though she was already sitting.

She pressed a button in her left strap, near her shoulder and, with a gushing vapory sound, the parachute attached to her back flew off. However, even though she got rid of the object throwing her off balance, the momentum created by everything was enough to make her stumble, not much, but to simply stumble drunkenly for a while, with caused her roll. She saw everything around her rolling as she was tossed about the head of the Robot.

Misato felt rather than saw the approaching ledge and used muscle memory rather than reflex movement to grab onto the ledge, saving herself a 200 meter fall. She scanned around for the entrance hatch; however she was distracted upon spotting one of the so called maintenance bots approaching her.

Ugly little floating things. They were primarily red, silver and yellow in color, a cartoony face with round black eyes and a red moustache in design. It hovered around the air apparently thanks to a jet like turbine below it, able to maintain balance thanks to smaller turbines in front and in the back. It also had two identical indentations on each side of its round body, apparently without purpose. The metal surface making them surprisingly stoic and though the round shaped thing didn't appear at all human, a strange thought crossed Misato's mind.

_These… THINGS look like Robotnik. Red huge mustache and bald round head. Even the black glasses, too…_

"Captain, have you reached the entrance hatch behind the head?" A static voice, coming from her com unit, interrupted her reverie.

"I-I'm, um… I'm at the helm of it. G-Going towards the hatch now…"

Misato thought it was the sense of danger of where she was right now that made her stutter. However, it was actually the sense of danger of the metallic foe in front of her. Yes it was a foe. A small pointed gun like needle came out of its left side, right by an indentation it had four times over, two on the right side and two on the left side, of which one activated. There WAS a purpose to the two indentations on each side, they were laser guns.

Bright white light blinded Misato and she fell on the steel ground.

When her vision went back to normal, she saw that half of her visor had been melted. She could see through it. The round floating death device seemed to be charging a second shot. A laser beam, she figured, from the needle at its side. The second needle on the left side and the two on the right side revealed themselves.

Without being sealed off because of the hole in her visor, the radiation inside Jet Alone would probably kill her before she could input the shut down code. There were four other laser shots about to go right at her. She didn't have any weapons on her to even try and fend off the machine about to shoot her.

_Father…_

The silent thought went unheard.

Bright white light.

The ground trembles and she wasn't sure why she lost consciousness.

She was, however, glad it was quick and painless.

(SGE)

Misato awoke with a killing headache. A headache she was not used to. An actual headache and not a hangover effect. She was being carried by someone. Whoever it was, was short, 5, maybe 6 feet tall. Misato was confused and woozy and her head hurt so she was probably just imagining the sensation of falling.

The moment her head cleared some more, she realized she was indeed falling, well not falling per se, but she was sliding down a very steep, very inclined metallic surface. The person carrying her was almost gliding down towards the ground.

Her head cleared a little more, adrenalin rushing in as she saw the ridiculous danger of her current situation. The speed in which whoever was gliding down, grinding the surface of Jet Alone's giant shin, was impossible to halt and survive.

_Wait, surface of Jet Alone's shin?!_

Misato looked around some more and she was indeed atop the long left leg of the malfunctioned robot, whoever carried her grinding down, just sliding his feet on an inclined angle, going towards the ground, the red shoes connected to a pipe like part of the surface of the massive iron leg. There was no way those same red shoes grinding down would lose control and fall over or something like that, no matter how fast the descent was.

_Wait, red shoes?!_

Just when Misato realized she was being rescued, she really looked at her would-be rescuer for the first time. The danger she was in forgotten. The woes she had faced before in her life over. That Second Impact moment she witnessed gone. All of her existence, all she was as a person focused on processing the someone carrying her now.

Scratch that, some THING. Its arms were surprisingly thin, even though it was right now carrying her as if she weighted nothing. They were a color akin to human skin color but that was tossed out her processing capabilities when she noticed its body was, well, blue. Blue and with a spiky like surface. Misato thought whatever this thing was, it couldn't possibly freak her out more.

And then she looked at the area the face should be.

_What… the hell…?_

She was now questioning her sanity. Even with the landscape still moving fast and down around her. Even with every instinct she had telling her this creature was saving her. Her rational parts were still trying to dismiss it all as unreal.

It had huge oval like eyes that were so close to each other that they seemed somehow connected, a muzzle that was a just bit smaller than the eyes, right below them. The nose, black and at the tip of the muzzle, was almost cartoony like round. At the edge of the muzzle and eyes, the dark ocean blue of almost bright living began again, extending in a spike like surface, as if he was composed of several spikes clustered together, like a hedgehog. And it extended to the full extent of its head.

_The head…_

He had spikes alright. Here's the thing though: the spikes formed at least six clusters of huge spikes, just behind his head. Shaped like reversed shark fins, menacingly projecting themselves backward. 'Hedgehog quills' was the best way to describe those. Misato didn't have to think much about it to see they could hurt.

And then the most unimaginable thing of all. It looked at her.

_Green eyes… Green BIG eyes…_

And then it seemed to realize Misato was staring. And it smiled, flashing perfect white teeth in a crooked mouth twisted upwards.

_What…? _

Misato couldn't ponder on it any more than that, because the very next instant, it looked upwards and jumped. Misato grabbed onto him stronger, steadying herself. Her training kicking in, she was tuned to everything happening. Whatever was carrying her jumped when the leg of Jet Alone was ended, it targeted one of the Jet Alone bots hovering just beyond them.

She knew it was targeting the bot, for the next moment, it stepped on the bot, used the momentum gained to continue their descent, finally she was closer to the ground and then she felt the thing carrying her building momentum. And then…

KABOOM!

…the maintenance bot from Jet Alone exploded behind them as they resumed falling down.

"And that makes fifty!"

Misato stared at the blue hedgehog like creature again, this time her eyes truly widening with disbelief. _Did this thing just speak?_

And then the 5 and half feet tall creature landed a perfect landing. Misato could have sworn they were still too high above the ground for them to make such a smooth landing. Another absurd thought bubbled in her head.

_Did this thing just destroy one of Jet Alone's bots with ONE kick?_

She thought it would be impossible to turn away from it, but she did, only to look at the ruins of Jet Alone behind her. The robot was definitely destroyed, even if it seemed to somehow have stopped in mid walk for some reason. The leg they just grinded on still on a slope angle. Fire and torn metal in several areas of the giant robot.

_Did this thing just destroy Jet Alone somehow?_

She looked at it again when it gently placed her on the ground.

Misato couldn't process what face she was making right now but she was pretty sure it was still the same wide eyed shocked and disbelieving face that she probably maintained during her entire descent. Another stupid thought bubbled in her head: somewhere along the way, she lost the helmet of her radiation suit.

Then, among panting and seeming tired, it smiled at her again, apparently realizing she was staring. Misato couldn't process any of that because…

"Haha! Impressed?"

…it spoke again. It laughed and was interacting with Misato after laughing. It asked her a question. Misato honestly and earnestly thought she had gone crazy, still questioning her sanity. This thing definitely wasn't human. Definitely was intelligent and was interacting with her.

"I know, I know. I make quite the first impression!" as it said this, it smoothed out the top quill of its head with one hand, placing the other on its hip. Misato noticed something else for the first time now.

_White gloves…?_

It was indeed wearing white wool gloves. Its hands were unusually large too. Not so much that he would look freaky or anything like that, but still large. And then it looked at her again. As if waiting for her to say something.

"Y-you… you… Y-you're a… a…" Was all Misato could manage.

As if sensing she wouldn't finish a sentence, it said "A hedgehog. And proud of it."

Misato could only stare "…"

The little blue creature seemed to be deep in thought. He was THAT expressive. Only when he spoke again, Misato managed to process that her sanity wasn't lost. That she was actually interacting with a blue hedgehog like creature, a very expressive and capable of speech anthropomorphized blue hedgehog.

"Um… Are you… infatuated?"

Misato just stared, wide eyed and still disbelieving. She didn't think she was crazy, but… well, a blue creature, or hedgehog as it had entitled itself, just asked if she was in love with him. She was that speechless and wide eyed just being in his presence.

"I hope not… I mean, you're pretty and all, but… well one crazy fan girl in love is enough, you know?"

Finally she managed to get her voice out again. "I… N-no… I mean… You…"

The blue hedgehog just looked in her eyes, as if waiting for a reaction, waiting for her to finish the sentence.

"You're a… talking hedgehog…" At the same time Misato said it, she realized how laid back he was, how he portrayed himself like a teenager with attitude, although he was an anthropomorphized hedgehog.

He then frowned, though his face was still laid back and playful. A knowing smile on his lips. "Why is everyone here surprised at the fact I can talk? Of course I can talk."

He then seemed to think about or remember something. "Oh, that reminds me. I gotta run. I'll see you later pretty lady." He waved at her before boosting out of the scene.

Away from his eyes, the woman he left behind, the 'pretty lady', was still staring in disbelief at the spot he had just been in. Misato processed that whatever it was, it was real, it was there, it talked to her and, finally, it also ran away at the speed of sound. Misato was maybe a bit rusty but she would recognize the explosion of the sound barrier being shattered anywhere, be it in small projectile like a bullet, or a supersonic jet plane.

This time it was a Sonic boom caused by a five foot and a half tall anthropomorphic talking blue hedgehog. She thought she was through questioning her own sanity, having accepted what just happened as actually happening, but then she thought about how she would report this.

(SGE)

**Author's note: I know I said this in chapter 5 but I'll say it again: any crap like "Sonic is 100 cm tall, that's only 3 and a half feet tall, not 5 and a half feet tall", won't be accepted because in Sonic 06 (horrible gameplay, but still cool music and cool story, so it exists) he is a bit below Elize's shoulder height. I'm considering Elize to be at least regular tall, and this is modern sonic we're talking about, modern Sonic IS taller than classic Sonic (see Sonic Generations). And Sonic also doesn't make for quite the hero type, at least not in the Eva universe, if he is only 3 and a half feet tall. I don't think he would even be able to carry Misato being just 100 cm tall. So cut me some freaking slack here please. Sonic is as tall as Kensuke here. **

**Also, Disclaimer: Evangelion belongs to Gainax, Sonic belongs to Sega… Like seen in the first five chapters.**

**Last but not least, big thank you goes to GamerJay for betareading**


End file.
